Pennsylvania Railroad/The Gateway to America
Artist
Ivar Gull
Printer
Charles Francis Press, New York
Date1929
MediumStone Lithograph
Dimensions40 x 25 in. (101.6 x 63.5 cm)
ClassificationsPoster
Credit LinePoster House Permanent Collection
Object numberPH.5696
DescriptionGround was broken for Pennsylvania Station in 1904, and construction began two years later; the McKim, Mead & White masterpiece finally opened in 1910. This is one of the only posters depicting the architectural icon. Once the Pennsylvania Railroad began to invest in electrification to lower operating costs and meet the requirements of smoke- abatement laws in cities that it served, construction on underwater tunnels became possible, allowing it to link New Jersey with Midtown Manhattan. The building covered two city blocks between Seventh and Eighth Avenues and 31st and 33rd Streets. The term “Gateway to America” was originally used to describe Ellis Island and was chosen by the Pennsylvania Railroad as a counterpoint to New York Central Railroad’s slogan asserting that Grand Central Terminal was the “Gateway to a Continent.” From the 1920s, the Pennsylvania Railroad began commissioning exceptional posters, a number of which were designed by Ivar Gull, who also illustrated its timetables. This poster was left blank in the lower register so travel agencies could overprint their own information.On View
Not on view
