| Fly TWA to Chicago This iconic image of Chicago’s Miracle Mile, made in 1958, celebrates exotic locations that consumers could easily access with air travel. The unknown artist of this poster depicts the famed lion statue outside of the Art Institute, the Chicago skyline, and a twin prop commercial plane flying above. The poster was meant to be hung on the wall of a travel agency in order to entice passersby. TWA (Trans World Airlines) was formed in 1924 as Transcontinental & Western Air. The airline’s first route was New York to Los Angeles, soon followed by multiple National routes. The airline expanded to serve Europe, the Middle East and Asia after WWII when the company was under the control of Howard Hughes, owner from 1939 until 1961. Hughes was a dominant force in expanding and promoting the routes flown by his company. The economy was vastly improving, and travels through air for business and pleasure increased too. Posters were a key element to promoting this form of travel and TWA. The airline started a decline in the 1970s that ended up in a third bankruptcy that caused their acquisition by American Airlines in 2001. The airline operated in 132 destinations worldwide and had a fleet size of 190. It measures 25 x 40 inches. {scan and informations from ebay auction} |
