As we observe nostalgic airline advertising in this ongoing series, the effective use of high-impact artwork is unmistakable. The objective was to catch the viewer’s eye while romanticizing luxury service aloft and these ads succeeded quite well indeed. Although airlines tried to outdo each other’s advertisements, one name was synonymous with luxury air travel in the piston-powered era, and that was Pan American World Airways.
With the slogan “First across the Atlantic, First across the Pacific, First to South America, and First around the world,” Pan American epitomized long-range air travel, beginning with the iconic flying boats of the 1930s, and then Lockheed Constellation and Douglas DC-7 Clippers. But there was another aircraft in Pan Am’s four-engine fleet that really captured the public’s imagination, for this airliner was not only larger and more powerful, but had a double-deck cabin.
Called the “Stratocruiser,” this majestic sky ship was derived from Boeing’s Post-World War II military C-97 transport and KC-97 aerial tanker. The ‘Strat’ carried 86 passengers in two-class service, and cruised at 340 mph. With a range of nearly 3,000-miles, Stratocruisers flew international routes from New York to Europe as well as from the U.S. west coast to Hawaii and the Orient.
The airplane’s most famous attribute, however, was its lower deck lounge and cocktail bar, accessed by a spiral staircase. Despite having higher seat-mile costs, Stratocruisers generated higher revenues for their operators as a result of this feature plus the luxuries of large sleeper seats and even fully enclosed lie-flat berths. For its time, the ‘Strat’ simply had no competition when it came to roomy comfort and lavish airborne amenities.
In the ad above, the Stratocruiser’s signature round windows are shown prominently, although the curtains remain open giving passengers an ample night-time view of stars and the exhaust glow from four 3,500-horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engines. The Clipper’s Captain is proudly making his rounds, as was done in those days, gazing at contentedly sleeping passengers as the Stewardess pours a freshly brewed cup of coffee back in the galley. Other passengers are fast asleep in curtained sleeper berths above.
This illustration is masterfully composed, with a beautiful interplay of light and dark shapes and cool and warm colors. “Pan Am Blue” is used on the blankets, berth curtains, carpet, and Stewardess’s uniform. Red on the window curtains and mother’s dress provides just the right balance to the cool hues, and the little girl’s Pan American flight bag offers the perfect visual accent. (I believe I saw that same bag for sale at a recent airliner show.)
The tag line in the text says, “For reservations, call your Travel Agent or Pan Am.” I’m sure many people saw this handsome ad and did just that. After all, with Stratocruisers named “Sovereign of the Sky,” “Romance of the Skies,” and “Queen of the Pacific,” how could you go wrong?
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