A new exhibition in the island of Hydra showcases the early days of Greek tourism through rare posters, brochures, and artistic materials from the 20th century. Titled “Advertising Greece: The Origins of Greek Tourism”, the exhibition is hosted at the Lazaros Koundouriotis Historical Mansion, a branch of the National Historical Museum in Hydra. Opening to the public on March 25, the exhibition will run through October 31, 2025., with official inaugural events scheduled for June, during Hydra’s annual Miaoulia Festival.
Organized by the Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece, the exhibition showcases how early state tourism agencies first presented the country’s landscapes, traditions, and hospitality to the world. These visuals span styles from romantic pre-war depictions of antiquity to the modernist and abstract graphic design trends of the 1960s.
Alexandros Alexandrakis (1951) / Photo Credit: National Historical Museum
Featured artists include prominent figures in Greek visual culture such as Tasos Loukidis, Aggelos Spachis, Mimis Vitsoris, Michail Papageorgiou (Doris), Giorgos Kosmadopoulos, Alexandros Alexandrakis, Giorgos Manousakis, Periklis Byzantios, Panagiotis Tetsis, Spyros Vasileiou, Giorgos Vakirtzis, Louisa Montesantou, Elli Orfanou, Eleni Peraki-Theochari, Eirini Apergi, Spyros Vasileiou, Giorgos Vakirtzis, Giannis Faitakis, Tassos, Giannis Tsarouchis, Agni Katzouraki, Michalis Katzourakis, Freddie Carabott; photographers such as Nelly’s, Nikolaos Tompazis, Dimitris Harisiadis, Maria Chrousaki; lithographers such as Othon Pervolarakis and Sevastianos Kourkoulos, and many more.
The Acropolis of Lindos (Rhodes). Design: M. Katzourakis- F. V. Carabott. Poster, published by the National Tourist Organisation of Greece, 1963. / Photo Credit: National Historical Museum
Athens Festival 1962. Design: M Katzourakis. Brochure, published by the National Tourist Organisation of Greece, July 1962.
Athens Festival 1963. Design: M Katzourakis. Booklet, published by the National Tourist Organisation of Greece, July 1963.
/ Photo Credit: National Historical Museum
A dedicated section explores Hydra’s own early tourism history, while another highlights the role of the newly established Epidaurus and Athens festivals in shaping Greece’s international image. Visitors will also get to see Imagining Greece, a parallel online exhibition developed by an interdisciplinary team of scientists which offers broader historical context on how Greece was envisioned and promoted over the decades.
Cover photo, Aegean Seacoasts. Composition: Periklis Vyzantios. Poster, published by the Tourist Department of Greece, 1948. / Photo Credit: National Historical Museum
