“New Short Route Harwich—Hoek van Holland”

"The Dutch artistic poster got off to a slow start compared to other European countries. In the late nineteenth century, Dutch posters were only aimed at providing as much information as possible to passers-by. The effect that the design itself could have - through the appeal of an image or the use of specific typography - has not yet been consciously considered. The differences in urban planning may be an explanation. The historic city centers in the Netherlands lacked the long and wide boulevards that were built in large European cities such as Paris and Vienna. This urban modernization led to poster designs that attracted more attention in the new, wide streets. A Dutch designer who recognized the importance and power of the artistic poster at an early stage was the architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage (1856-1934). In 1893 and 1895, when he had just been working as an independent architect for a number of years, he designed posters for two new rail connections. These two designs form an interesting case to investigate whether Berlage's distinct aesthetic ideas, which are so clearly expressed in his architecture and theoretical works, are also recognizable in these posters."— Translated from https://www.elianeodding.nl/2019/07/28/tussen-grafische-vormgeving-en-architectuur/#more-792