While I was in the TWA Hotel last week at New York Kennedy, I enjoyed viewing a gallery of vintage TWA travel posters.
Vintage TWA Travel Posters
The TWA Hotel does so many things well, but one of my favorite and appropriate features of this hotel is a hallway lined with vintage travel posters in the lobby. These were all designed by David Klein between 1955 and 1965. The originals are on display at the New York Museum of Modern Art.
These posters were before my time, but are a reminder of TWA’s worldwide reach and rich heritage as global carrier. I flew TWA exactly once in my life, from Los Angeles to Washington National via St. Louis shortly after the merger with American Airlines was announced. As such, these posters do not have quite the personal connection for me, yet as a lover of travel heavily resonate.
Enjoy!
I have a couple of these as jigsaw puzzles – they’re awesome…
I don’t have one myself, but I’m pretty sure there’s a nice coffee table book of these for sale.
I have purchased and framed several of the original prints. They are gorgeous and brighten my home.
I’ve collected them for quite some time. It’s actually a fairly robust market with a number of collectors worldwide. There is a rich history as to the art that goes back to the earliest days of commercial flying. Perhaps the most sought after, most beautiful, and ones I personally seek, are the early Air France posters. If you tend to be more modernist in your home design there are some fantastic Braniff ones from the 1960’s as well.
I never knew Kansas City is the city of fountains! Pretty cool.
These are wonderful and excellent examples of graphic art. In an earlier age many advertising posters were done by top artists ( including travel, beer, food) to supplement income as they established themselves ( particularly during the depression and war)
I saw some of these at the TWA Lounge in the 1 World Trade Center, around 85th floor. It was the hotel developer’s office. Not sure whether it was closed after the hotel was finished. It’s not open to the public.
I grew-up flying TWA and my very first flights on a 707, 880, 727, 747 and 1011 were all aboard jets wearing the red and white livery of this once globe-girdling carrier.
TWA had a long history of using colorful advertising to promote their services. Here is a link to a Flickr album of mine featuring 1950’s TWA magazine ads from my private collection:
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmUkxc2K
Thanks for sharing!
If I lived in Vegas, I’d definitely track down one of those Vegas posters.
AWESOME!
Thanks Matt
I have two framed smaller reproductions in my office at home, one with Fly TWA to Germany and another with Fly TWA to London. The first has a small rendering of a Constellation, the other a 707. I used to fly to both in the 80s and 90s, but on 747s, L-1011s and 767s. Air France has some nice ones too and I have one featuring Paris, of course, where I either flew to or transited many times. There are plenty of on-line sites with dozens of selections so google away.
Wonderful! They are hard to find, and beautiful. Thank you!
Lovely. Thanks for taking all those pictures. I knew that TWA had it made by having both domestic and international routes but I never knew they flew to India.
Really lovely vintage collection! Thank you so much for sharing!
Very charming.
My heart is warmed by these fantastic and historical posters from the long era ❤ of
Trans World Airlines! This featured consideration brings a smile of what it takes to make greatness, most importantly, during the early and formative years!
Accolades to all my former co-workers, team mates and great friends, worldwide!
“May we forever keep our heads to the sky!”