Canadian Pacific: Creating a Brand, Building a Nation (Standard Edition)

Canadian Pacific: Creating a Brand, Building a Nation is the intriguing story of the private railway company that pushed political unification and shaped the country's image.

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An unprecedented look at Canada's history: How commercial design shaped the country's image

Up to now virtually nothing has been published about Canadian Pacific's decisive role in “branding” the nation at home and abroad. The company's visionary leaders used the railway line's potential to its fullest, swiftly creating a pioneering global travel and transportation empire, for several decades the world's biggest. As Canada's main private land owner, Canadian Pacific became a key sponsor of immigration. These and numerous other activities were publicized with unparalleled proficiency and quality, projecting a vision of the new nation that became part of its identity. Never before or after has a single company influenced a country and its image to such an extent.

A concise and compelling narrative recapitulating the first one hundred years of the company’s history, beginning in the 1880s, is complemented by more than 600 photos, historical documents, advertisements and illustrations, many of which have never been published before. The combination of text and images allows the reader to trace Canadian Pacific’s publicity and branding strategies targeting the adventurous world travelers of the late 19th century, the luxury cruise passengers in the 1930s, potential immigrants considering a move to Canada, or the company’s airline customers in the 1950s, to name just a few examples. For each category of the company’s many activities, the relevant designs and strategies are explained. The making of modern Canada is unimaginable without Canadian Pacific.

From internationally acclaimed art book publisher Callisto, this edition was produced and designed according to highest standards, printed on top of the line paper by Italian manufacturer Fedrigoni. Hundreds of images were reproduced and digitally restored true to the originals whenever possible to enable the reader to enjoy them with the same intensity Canadian Pacific’s customers in Canada and around the world did many years ago. Using the latest printing techniques, the book features crisp reproduction of even the smallest of details of the numerous illustrations.