Description

A decorative art-deco map with text in Croatian language, shows routes from Zagreb to Istanbul, Jerusalem, Dubrovnik, Naples, Madeira, Valparaiso, Buenos Aires, Barcelona, Panama and New York.

The map was made for a competition by a Croatian newspaper Jutranji list. The prices were organised travels to the marked places. The advertisement was originally mounted on card and was probably exhibited in a newspaper stand or a convenient store.

The map was designed by Otto Antonini (1892 – 1959), a pioneer of Croatian graphic design, active mostly on the 1920s and 1930s and known for his modern art-deco lines. Antonini was trained as a fresco painter, among others in Siena at the Accademia di Belle Arti. Upon his return to Croatia he started working as an illustrator for newspapers, first for the satirical magazine Šišmiš (Bat), and between 1926 and 1932 for an illustrated weekly Svijet, for which he produced his most famous works. He was also designing postal stamps until 1952.

References: Kolveshi, Željka. Otto Antonini : Zagreb and “Svijet” / “Svijet” and Zagreb in 20s. Zagreb: Zagreb City Museum, 2006