On 7 December 2025, the Heritage Transport Museum launched a remarkable exhibition titled 'Posters That Moved India' to celebrate its 12th anniversary. This special showcase offers a curated visual journey through India's travel heritage, spanning five decades from the 1930s to the 1970s.
A Time Capsule of Travel and Design
The exhibition, housed in the Museum's Exhibition Gallery, presents an exceptional collection of original posters that once adorned railway stations, airline offices, and port buildings. These rare artworks served as the primary inspiration for travel in an era before digital marketing, relying on evocative, hand-crafted art to ignite public imagination. The opening day saw a large and enthusiastic crowd, including transport historians, design experts, academics, students, and families, all drawn to this unique blend of graphic design, heritage, and social history.
Rare Visual Documents on Display
The scale and rarity of the collection are its standout features, providing public access to materials seldom exhibited. Visitors can explore a diverse range of original posters that form a crucial part of India's design and mobility narrative. The exhibition includes:
- Original Indian Railways posters featuring early steam engines, scenic mountain routes like the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, and classic tourism campaigns.
- Mid-century airline posters that capture the dawn of civil aviation in India, reflecting the optimism of a modernising nation.
- Maritime posters that encapsulate the spirit of seafaring and international voyages.
- Rare tourism advertisements illustrating Indian cities, landscapes, and cultural sites through the lens of early graphic artists.
The display also offers insights into the typography, illustration styles, and printing techniques that defined travel communication for nearly half a century.
Founder's Vision: Art as a Time Capsule
Speaking at the inauguration, Tarun Thakral, Founder and Managing Trustee of the Heritage Transport Museum, highlighted the exhibition's significance. He stated that the collection provides a rare glimpse into the visual culture that shaped India's early travel landscape. "It not only celebrates our heritage but also helps today's audiences understand how mobility and identity evolved over the decades," Thakral said. He described each poster as a "time capsule", inviting visitors to step back and experience the era that first sparked the widespread desire to explore India.
Plan Your Visit
The 'Posters That Moved India' exhibition will remain open to the public until 28 February 2026. This gives art lovers, history enthusiasts, and the curious ample time to explore this unique visual archive at the Museum's Exhibition Gallery. The exhibition stands as a testament to a bygone era of travel, where art and persuasion were seamlessly woven together to move a nation.
