With this text ends this short series on our selection of the 10 most famous posters in the world. In the first part we mentioned five great examples of iconic signs: the Hollywood sign, the Moulin Rouge sign in Paris, the Penny Lane sign in Liverpool, the legendary Route 66 sign, and last but not least, the welcome to Key West, here in Florida.
Here are the other five posters that for decades have been a source of inspiration and the subject of photographs for millions of people around the world, to the point that many of them are themselves tourist destinations.
These are the 10 most famous signs in the world (part 2)
Who does not know Las Vegas? This city is widely recognized throughout the world as one of the largest centers of entertainment, nightlife and gambling in the world. Just as famous is its iconic welcome sign!
The “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada” sign is an international symbol of fun and entertainment. It was installed in 1959 and is on the US National Register of Historic Places. At night it is when it unleashes all its splendor, with its classic neon lights announcing that the city will live a new splendor until dawn.
Credits: ( By Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43851150 )
Although it may seem incredible, one of the most popular posters in the world is less than 20 years old and also points to a fictitious place. It is about Platform 9¾, a reference to the Harry Potter book saga.
Millions of Harry Potter fans travel every year from all over the world to Kings Cross Station, in London, to have their photo taken with this fictional portal that leads to Hogwarts. The number of tourists taking photos there is so great that the poster was moved from its original location to a brick wall near a store that sells items related to the world of magic and fantasy of Harry Potter.
Credits: ( By Keith Ruffles, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52004646 )
The London Underground sign, known as the “Roundel”, is one of the most iconic images of London. Although the most widespread date for its final installation is from the 1920s, curiously this design originated in 1908 and has gone through several evolutions.
Its red circle represents a subway station, and the blue trace represents a tunnel. In addition to its utility, the Roundel has become a symbol of the city. Not only has it been reinterpreted in various artistic forms over the years, but it is now possible to purchase official replicas from the city’s transportation authorities.
Credits: ( By London Underground Roundel, London SW1 by Christine Matthews, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=127872404 )
The ‘Lands End’ sign is an iconic landmark in Cornwall. It is located at the most south-western point of Britain and has been a popular destination for hundreds of thousands of visitors for decades.
The sign is currently owned by a local photography company and is a common sight in pictures of those posing next to it just before or after making the journey between Lands End and John O’Groats in the north of Scotland.
Credits: ( By Nilfanion – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16438959 )
The Radio City sign is one of the most iconic in New York City history. The sign crowns the exterior of Radio City Music Hall, a tourist attraction that hosts popular shows such as Saturday Night Live and America’s Got Talent.
The sign was created in 1932, with the city barely emerging from the harsh economic crisis of 1929, and since it first turned on the lights, it was the center of attraction for the bigger theater in the world at the time. The electronic marquee and sign cover almost an entire block and are impossible to look away from or forget, even decades later.
Credits: ( By Luca Bravo lucabravo – https://unsplash.com/photos/UeblG5cl0QMImageGallery, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61687821 )
