Swissair Hong Kong 1971

This original 1971 Swissair travel poster features an aerial photograph of Hong Kong by Georg Gerster, with graphic design by Emil Schulthess and Hans Frei. Printed in offset in Switzerland, it belongs to the celebrated campaign through which Swissair replaced conventional tourist imagery with striking views photographed from the air.

Seen from directly above, a group of traditional vessels gathers in the waters of Aberdeen Harbour. Their elongated hulls radiate around an open centre, creating an almost circular abstract composition. Sunlight scattered across the dark blue water introduces a sparkling texture, while the varied roofs and canopies provide restrained touches of colour.

The image occupies nearly the entire poster, allowing the photograph to communicate the destination without explanatory detail. The orange “hong kong” lettering creates a vivid contrast with the water, while Swissair’s white arrow-shaped emblem appears prominently in the upper left. This economical combination of photography, typography and corporate identity is characteristic of refined postwar Swiss graphic design.

Georg Gerster (1928–2019) was a Swiss journalist and one of the pioneers of modern aerial photography. His images transformed landscapes, cities and human activity into unexpected patterns while retaining their documentary value. His long collaboration with Swissair, which began in the early 1970s, helped establish an influential new approach to airline advertising. Emil Schulthess and Hans Frei shaped the photograph into the precise and immediately recognizable poster composition.

Combining aviation history, documentary photography and Swiss modernist design, this original poster has strong appeal for collectors of Swissair memorabilia, Hong Kong imagery, aerial photography and twentieth-century travel advertising. The extraordinary arrangement of the boats also allows the poster to function as a compelling photographic artwork in a contemporary interior.

Original Poster

Airline - Asia - China - Boat

Switzerland

Good condition