It's that time of year, a time when my thoughts turn sharply towards taking a holiday. I'll go soon. In the meantime I'm consoling myself with looking back over these beautiful bits of travel ephemera by Douglas Annand (1903–1976) for the Orient Line. Aren't they sweet? I particularly love the owl captain and pussy cats. So bright! So fun! What I particularly admire about Annand is his use of colour and versatility of style. Not only was he a gun graphic designer but a sculptor, muralist and textile designer. The National Gallery of Australia mounted a terrific exhibition of his work in the mid 1990s where his stunning publication work and poster work was on display (take a look at the NGA website for a selection of images). The catalogue sold out before I could get my hands on it. But what I can't forget was the toilet door. You heard right. The door from Annand's toilet was in the show. It was no ordinary door. Adorned with doodles by Australia's premiere modernist artists it was a cut above the kind of graffiti you might find in a uni loo. I'd have kept it too.
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