Calendars become popular
The Greek Postal Savings Bank started to distribute promotional calendars in the early 1930s. It posted them to the most remote villages in Greece through its network of post offices and postmen.
Their circulation coincided with the circulation of calendars published by other Greek banks, including Commercial Credit Bank, Laiki Popular Bank, Ioniki Bank, National Bank of Greece, Bank of Athens and Emporiki Bank.
The calendars successfully promoted the idea of saving money. During the interwar years they were published in relatively large numbers (10,000-30,000) and they were very popular.
Artistic perspective
The artwork of the wall calendars was set to inspire the working class to save money. It was selected by means of public tenders, with many renowned artists participating, such as Periklis Vyzantios, Apostolos Geralis, Nikitas Gryspos, Fokion Dimitriadis, Dimitris Kokotsis and Othon Pervolarakis.
The calendars were printed by the best Greek printers at that time: Aspioti-ELKA, M. Pechlivanidis, O. Pervolarakis – V. Lykogiannis, etc. From time to time the Greek Postal Savings Bank also distributed elegant pocket diaries.
World War II
World War II, the dramatic events that followed and the economic recession led to the decline of the Greek Postal Savings Bank. As a consequence, it was forced to briefly cancel the circulation of the calendars.The revival in the 1960s
The calendars started being distributed again in 1963, during a period of growth for the Greek economy and the Greek Postal Savings Bank.
This time the artwork was different and more connected to the concept of saving money; pictures of money boxes, children holding piggy banks and school saving were only some of the themes. The printing quality remained excellent.
Revamped calendars
In the 1970s the Greek Postal Savings Bank calendars made a comeback. They were larger and the artwork was more varied, as were the themes, e.g. paintings of Greek landscapes or photographs of towns and the countryside.
From 1990 to 2014 the artwork was organised into specific themes, e.g. Greek nature, forests, caves, lakes, rivers, museums, Greek paintings, etc. The calendars were published in large numbers (80,000-200,000).