Photo Essay: A Jet Set Obsession

I've always loved posters. They're democratic. They’re designed to exist in public space and merge into the fabric of the city. Unlike billboards, however, posters are human-scale. Illustrated travel posters have special appeal. Maybe it’s because I make my living as an illustrator, but I feel that the bright colors of David Klein's TWA posters or the emotional texture of Stan Galli's work for United Air Lines tap into our collective wanderlust in a way that the realism of photography just can’t touch. I've collected a lot of vintage travel posters over the years, and these are some of my personal favorites. (You can see more of my collection at www.jetsetposters.com)

TWA, New York, circa 1965

A travel poster is fantasy on paper. It instantly creates desire by conveying the essence of the thing, while leaving out the messy details. Such is the beauty of illustration, and this David Klein piece is a perfect example. It viscerally captures the nighttime energy and luminance of Times Square. It's at once colorful, playful, and exciting—exactly what travel should be. Of the dozens of posters that Klein designed for the airline, this is among the most sought after.

Air France, Paris, 1962

Another poster that captures the magic of a city after dark is this Air France piece. The image, which beautifully depicts a night scene over the Arc de Triumph, first appeared on an Air France poster in 1947. Seeing this 1962 update of the original, it’s easy to see why Paris is called “The City of Light.” Non?

Swiss Air, ca. 1959

You’ve got to love the Swiss. They’re just so... Swiss. Everything’s clean. Everything’s crisp. Everything’s modern. This gorgeous poster is no exception. The design is simple but not simplistic. The use of color is reserved, but the contrasting orange and blue give the piece remarkable beauty and punch. The play on the logotype — how it forms a Swiss cross at its intersection — adds yet another clever detail. Three cheers for Swiss Modernism!

United Air Lines, Las Vegas, ca. 1965

United hired Stan Galli, another of the period’s well-known commercial illustrators, to produce a bevy of posters. Galli captured the joy of travel much like Klein, but with slightly more sophistication. Really, who wouldn’t want to be this guy? You can imagine his pick-up line: “I do believe I remember your radiant smile from last night. Was it at the roulette wheel? Or was it by the fountain, as I was getting out of my Jensen?”