Acquiring the exclusive rights, off the back of a twelve year treasure hunt, to this early 20th Century artwork celebrating the timeless splendour of the Galle Face Hotel, Colombo’s crown jewel landmark hotel, is akin to inserting the missing piece in Stick No Bills® illustrative patrimonial puzzle of Sri Lanka - the Indian Ocean island nation of 22 million where our journey as a global poster art enterprise begins.
Founded in 1864 by four British entrepreneurs and often described as the “the best and the oldest hotel east of Suez”, millions of residents and visitors to Sri Lanka alike have been entranced by the romance of this property, which enjoys an unrivalled location where the capital city’s expansive Galle Face Green meets the palm-fringed Indian Ocean right at the heart of the city’s coastline.
Many unforgettable milestones in Sri Lanka´s tumultuous history have culminated at this specific stretch of the seafront over generations of flux and change making - in the institution’s own words: “no visit to the island complete without staying at this majestic hotel”.
Famous guests who have resided at the Galle Face Hotel during its near one hundred and sixty year history include Emperor Hirohito of Japan, US President Richard Nixon, Alfonso XIII King of Spain Empress Eugenie of France, Pope John Paul II, HRH Prince Phillip Duke of Edinburgh (who’s first personal car, a 1935 manufactured Standard Nine, remains in the hotel´s beachfront museum to this day), Indian Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Sir Carol Reed, Steven Spielberg, Gregory Peck, Bo Derek, Harrison Ford, Roger Moore, Sir Alex Guinee, Vivien Leigh, Peter Finch, William Holden, Mark Twain, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Noel Coward, Bernard Shaw and Arthur C Clarke.
Many unforgettable milestones in Sri Lanka´s tumultuous history have culminated at this specific stretch of the seafront over generations of flux and change making - in the institution’s own words: “no visit to the island complete without staying at this majestic hotel”.
Famous guests who have resided at the Galle Face Hotel during its near one hundred and sixty year history include Emperor Hirohito of Japan, US President Richard Nixon, Alfonso XIII King of Spain Empress Eugenie of France, Pope John Paul II, HRH Prince Phillip Duke of Edinburgh (who’s first personal car, a 1935 manufactured Standard Nine, remains in the hotel´s beachfront museum to this day), Indian Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Sir Carol Reed, Steven Spielberg, Gregory Peck, Bo Derek, Harrison Ford, Roger Moore, Sir Alex Guinee, Vivien Leigh, Peter Finch, William Holden, Mark Twain, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Noel Coward, Bernard Shaw and Arthur C Clarke.
