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From the start of regular U.S. passenger service in 1914, travelers have saved a wide variety of aviation and airline memorabilia, spanning everything from fine china and food-service items to maps and timetables. In general, older objects are the most desirable, though collectors frequently focus on specific carriers or aircraft models to narrow their field.
When the early airmail routes began offering seats for traveling passengers, they often included free meals or refreshments to tempt big-spenders away from traditional rail transport. Full meals were first served during the 1930s on china made by well-known companies like Wedgwood, Hall, Syracuse, Royal Doulton, and Homer Laughlin. These sets were designed to be lighter than household dinnerware, and often included the airline’s logo or name in their graphics.
Besides these china place-settings, airlines required a variety of glassware, flatware, napkins, menus, and other food service items. Passenger travel also necessitated the use of more disposable pieces, like safety-direction cards, amenities kits, swizzle sticks, blankets, headrest covers, and baggage labels, all of which are collected today. Whether used by major or minor airlines, paper goods like maps and timetables are particularly more valuable the older they are. Since the number of scheduled flights was very limited before 1930, aviation ephemera from this time period is quite rare...
Aviation collectibles also include any equipment used by airline personnel or ground staff, which is typically closely linked with certain carriers. Crew uniforms and badges or “wings” have been used since the earliest days of air travel, with specific designs to indicate employee positions from flight attendants to pilots. Early figural metal badges, like a Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT) pin with its Native American headdress logo, are sought for their rarity and their aesthetic appeal. Junior wings, the free pinbacks given to children on most flights during the 20th century, are another popular item among collectors.
In addition to exotic travel posters, commercial airlines created an array of promotional items to give their customers, like ashtrays, postcards, cigarette lighters, calendars, mugs, pinbacks, and more. Playing cards were one of the most common airline giveaways, as they were useful in-flight, simple to pack, and cheap to produce. Early decks dating to the 1920s are typically the most desirable, like the 1929 deck issued by TAT to celebrate its new bi-coastal service.
As passenger carriers debuted new aircraft designs, they frequently manufactured miniature models in metal or plastic to place in ticket offices and travel agencies. While many of these were produced as scale models of actual airplanes, others were created merely as decorative ashtrays or sculptures, especially during the heyday of glamorous air service in the '40s and '50s.
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Interviews & Articles
If 'Pan Am' Takes a Nosedive, It Won't Be For a Lack of Authentic, Vintage Props
When the 2011 fall television season made its noisy debut in September, two shows stood out for their potential to generate the sa… [more]
Collecting Aviation and Airline Memorabilia
I’ve got one of the largest private collections of airline memorabilia in the world. Many people who’ve seen it say that there’s e… [more]
The Art of Airline Ephemera
Daniel Kusrow was born in Bangkok, Thailand, but now resides and works in New York City. Daniel collects airline baggage labels, p… [more]
Signs, Tins, and Other Advertising Antiques
How did I get started collecting advertising antiques? My dad was a lecturer and tutor in graphics and art from the 1960s onwards,… [more]
The Disappearing Art of Porcelain Signs
I liked to collect things even as a child. Things that didn’t cost anything, like different colors of stones. There was somethin… [more]
Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)
National Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum holds some 50,000 artifacts, a significant subset of which can be viewed on this … [read review or visit site]
Aviation Models
Peter Jackson and friends have put together this great gallery of travel agent airline display models. The photo ga… [read review or visit site]
Airchive.com
Chris Sloan's collection of airline photos and paper. Includes four main sections: timetables and maps, planespotti… [read review or visit site]
Uniformfreak.com
Cliff Muskiet's incredible collection of 600 vintage stewardess uniforms from over 250 airlines since the 1950's, i… [read review or visit site]
Lufthansa Model Collection
A private collection of desktop Lufthansa airplane models. Available in English and German, this compact but rich s… [read review or visit site]
AirTimes
This incredible collection of airline timetables by Perry Sloan includes hundreds of vintage and modern airline tim… [read review or visit site]
Airline Spoons
Dieter's Flickr photoset of over 1,000 airline spoons is stunning. Browsable alphabetically, the spoons go back as … [read review or visit site]
Airline Bag Lounge
It would be hard to pick just one of these carry-ons for your next flight: Troy Litten's Airline Bag Lounge is a vi… [read review or visit site]
Travel Brochure Graphics
The staggering number of images on this site are, unbelievably, only a subset of David Levine's collection of 1920s… [read review or visit site]
Advertising Antiques
This classy looking British site features hundreds of high resolution photos of antique porcelain pre-war (enamel) … [read review or visit site]
Ad Access
Duke University's library has pulled together an impressive collection of over 7,000 ads printed in U.S. and Canadi… [read review or visit site]
Plan 59
From the Nostlagia Factory in Virginia comes this celebration of 'mid-century automotive advertising illustrations'… [read review or visit site]
American Package Museum
Ian House's gallery of early 20th Century American package designs. Browse the exhibits in slide show mode or view … [read review or visit site]
Found in Moms Basement
Paula Zargaj-Reynolds’ blog, an extensive collection of 20th century vintage advertising, is a visual feast. Scro… [read review or visit site]
Clubs & Associations: Advertising
Other Great Reference Sites: Advertising
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Pan Am Pilots
Airline Memorabilia Authentic ** T W A ** Fly New York Vintage Poster
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Original 1960 American Airlines Travel Poster New York City Webber 40" X 30" Lb
Wwii Usaaf Style A-2 Flight Jacket ~ Size 50 ~ Quality Repro Dubow
1960s Dc9 Sas Scandinavian Airlines Metal Travel Agency Model, Fermo Denmark
Beautiful Huge Solid Resin Braniff Intl Airlines 707 Travel Agency Display Model
Vintage Boeing 747-200f Silver-coated Metal Desk Model No Allyn Bronzart Topping
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress Original Allyn Metal Desk Model - No Topping Bronzart
Original Vintage Republic F-105 Thunderchief Large Metal Desk Model By Verkuyl
Vtg Ww2 Republic P-47 Thunderbolt Model Airplane Ashtray Cast Aluminum Trenchart
Lot Polish Airlines 60 Years Anniversary Book
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Vintage Topping Marlin Naval Seaplane P5m-2 Desktop Model
Twa Trans World Airlines Original 1960's Poster - ''boston' By David Klein
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Vintage Original 1960's Delta Airlines "boston" Travel Poster Nr
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29" Wooden Military Airplane Propeller- No Reserve
Ww1 Airplane Altitude Gauge - Signal Corps Us Army Air Service - Airship Wwi
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Rare 1950s Pan Am Airlines Gravy Boat, Pitcher, Creamer, Paa Half-wing
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1950/60's Usaf Air Crew N3b Heavy Winter Flight Jacket - Real Fur Collar
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Recent News: Aviation Memorabilia
Source: Google News
Caricature: Former Grantham Mayor Graham Wheat
Grantham Journal, May 17thMr Wheat, 85, of Manthorpe Road, is an avid collector of aviation memorabilia and has an extensive book collection. Graham said: “My Air Force connections keep me going. That's my main interest now.” He was raised in Coventry before moving to the area...Read more
Flambards family hope new buyer will preserve 'best day of the week'
This is Cornwall, May 15thStarting out as a repository for the Hales' vast collection of aviation memorabilia, the 27-acre site today encompasses gardens, rides, heritage exhibitions and animals. And while its Hornet roller-coaster, log flume, balloon race, cyclocopters, pedal...Read more
Colleen Dietzel: The Ecology-Superwoman of Ocean Beach
OB Rag, May 14thShe loves animals. When her dad passed away in 1981, she returned to Palmdale and ran his aviation memorabilia shop for eight months, selling it to a museum finally. Colleen Dietzel store. The Green Store / Center moved into its present location in 2012...Read more
RR Auction Offering EKG of Neil Armstrong's Heartbeat
Patch.com, May 14thThis massive auction of over 850 premiere lots of space and aviation memorabilia and artifacts includes some of the rarest and most impressive artifacts yet offered by RR in this rapidly growing and highly sought after genre of Americana collecting...Read more
Remote Controlled Air Show At Yeovilton
Heart, May 14thof experience. In addition to seeing the International Radio Control Model Air Show, visitors will be able to go onboard the first British Concorde and see the award winning Aircraft Carrier Experience all set among Europe's largest Naval aviation...Read more
Cold War plane added to aviation collection
Salisbury Journal, May 13thCold War plane added to aviation collection. A FORMER Cold War jet fighter has been added to Old Sarum Airfield's Boscombe Down Aviation Collection (BDAC). And the English Electronic Lightning supersonic jet fighter has been reunited with the pilot who...Read more
Being a professional pilot was a dream come true
OCRegister (subscription), May 12thArticle Tab: The San Clemente home of retired Continental Airlines pilot Diane Myers is filled. MORE PHOTOS ». The San Clemente home of retired Continental Airlines pilot Diane Myers is filled with aviation memorabilia such as this child's peddle plane...Read more
In defense of tourists: 8 travel tips from the masses
USA TODAY (blog), May 6thThe National Air and Space Museum in Washington has an unparalleled aviation collection from the country that gave powered flight to the world. There's a good reason they're always crowded (Fisherman's Wharf, we can't explain). Wear comfortable shoes...Read more