n the 1920s, one of the most prominent photography and graphic design studios in Genoa was that of Achille Testa, to whom Ligurian shipping companies entrusted their onboard photography services and advertising campaigns for national magazines. Specifically, advertisements consisting of colored drawings and photographs were created for the back covers of the monthly magazines of the Italian Touring Club, such as "Le vie d'Italia," "Le vie d'Italia e dell'America Latina," and "Le vie del Mondo." Posters, then referred to as cartelli, were also entrusted to the masters of Italian graphic design. The sketches for these posters were often used in magazine advertisements and as covers for promotional brochures.
In the advertisements created by Achille Testa for the express line to Latin America, Navigazione Generale Italiana requested an emphasis on outdoor life. The campaigns designed by the Genoese photography and graphic design studio focused on children on board, sports on the outer decks, and the social occasions of life in first class.