From Monarchy to Modernity: Travel, Identity, & the Czechoslovak First Republic (1918–1938)

On October 28, 1918, Czechoslovakia declared its independence and became a new country formed from Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, Slovakia, and Carpathian Ruthenia—all lands formerly part of the Austro Hungarian Empire which had been officially dissolved as a result of World War I. The period from 1918 to 1938 is referred to as the First Republic.

This exhibition explores seldom-seen travel posters from this golden age of Czechoslovakian history. They were created by artists, designers, and commercial studios who understood that tourism was more than leisure—it was diplomacy. In a region long defined by the imperial borders of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, travel posters became vehicles for soft power, enticing both domestic and foreign audiences to see the First Czechoslovak Republic as a land of opportunity, beauty, and progress.