t the end of the Great War, three Italian shipping companies were engaged in transatlantic services: Navigazione Generale Italiana (NGI) and Lloyd Sabaudo, both based in Genoa, and Cosulich Line, based in Trieste. The latter, before becoming part of Italy, was known as the Austro-Hungarian Shipping Union but was popularly referred to as Austro-Americana. The annexation of Trieste brought another renowned company under the Italian flag, the Lloyd Austriaco, which was aptly renamed Lloyd Triestino.
In the 1920s, these three companies engaged in fierce competition to build the largest, fastest, most luxurious, and innovative ships—qualities that had to be reflected in their promotional materials. The graphic designers of the time were tasked with creating the most original posters, capable of immediately conveying the delights of a sea voyage.
In 1922, NGI inaugurated the era of the giants with the launch of the Giulio Cesare, the first ship to exceed 20,000 gross tonnage. This began the tradition of depicting the ship's hull with a sharp, towering prow "flying" over the water.
Within a few years, NGI launched increasingly large and modern ocean liners: Duilio, Roma, Augustus... Lloyd Sabaudo responded with the Conte Rosso, Conte Verde, Conte Biancamano, and Conte Grande. Cosulich Line followed with Saturnia and Vulcania.
In 1927, NGI commissioned Marcello Dudovich to promote the Augustus’s open-air swimming pool (a world first). The Trieste-born artist created delightful illustrations showing passengers enjoying themselves in the water or by the poolside. Lloyd Sabaudo enlisted the talents of renowned artists such as Aurelio Craffonara, Ettore Mazzini, and Giuseppe Riccobaldi.