![An offset lithograph on paper poster encouraging travel to Paris with American Airlines. A photoillustration of a winged figure in long following robes leans towards the left and is colored in yellow which fades to turquoise from left to right. This figure represents the iconic Winged Victory of Samothrace from the Louvre Collection and takes up three quarters of the poster from the lower center. Capitalised italicised text in black and turquoise in the upper center printed on a right facing diagonal towards the upper right corner states [AMERICAN AIRLINES], followed by a black diagonal line stretching from the left edge of the first 'A' in [AMERICAN] to the lower right edge of the paper. Underneath this the word [PARIS] is printed in the center right in capital letters alternating between black and turquoise wih the letter 'R' in red. In the lower right corner beneath the figure's robe is the American Airlines logo in light blue, represented by two capital letter As with a bird of prey in between with its wings stretched upwards. Beneath this is the designer's signature [E. McKnight Kauffer] in light blue ink. The poster is inscribed in black capitalised letters [LITHO IN U. S. A.] in the lower left.]( https://images.collection.cooperhewitt.org/324643_e244fd6dd50b0c72_b.jpg
"Poster, American Airlines to Paris")
There is one other image of this object. See our image rights statement.
Object Timeline
|
1943 |
|
|
1953 |
|
|
1963 |
|
|
2013 |
|
|
2017 |
|
|
2021 |
|
|
2023 |
|
Poster, American Airlines to Paris
This is a Poster. It was designed by E. McKnight Kauffer and made for (as the client) American Airlines. It is dated 1950 and we acquired it in 1963. Its medium is lithograph. It is a part of the Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design department.
In the late 1940s, Kauffer and Bernard Waldman set out west on research trips for a series of American Airlines posters. These adventures resulted in one of the most successful campaigns of Kauffer’s career. The subject of flight had long brought out the best in Kauffer. A painting of Flight, the iconic poster that had kick-started his career, hung in his studio until his death. As the writer Arnold Bennett had described him years before, Kauffer was “as a bird, forever in flight, forever searching for a place to come to rest.”
This object was
donated by
Mrs. Edward McKnight Kauffer.
It is credited Gift of Mrs. E. McKnight Kauffer.
- Sidewall, Views of Paris
- screen-printed paper.
- Gift of Harvey Smith.
- 1950-126-4-a,b
- Poster, American Airlines to California
- lithograph.
- Gift of Mrs. E. McKnight Kauffer.
- 1963-39-131
- Print, American Airlines
- offset lithograph on paper.
- Gift of Mrs. E. McKnight Kauffer.
- 1963-39-164-a
Our curators have highlighted 2 objects that are related to this one.
- Drawing, Design for "Washington"
- brush and gouache on paper.
- Gift of Mrs. E. McKnight Kauffer.
- 1963-39-160
- Drawing, Design for "Off to Europe"
- brush and gouache on tracing paper.
- Gift of Mrs. E. McKnight Kauffer.
- 1963-39-163
Its dimensions are
101.6 × 76.2 cm (40 × 30 in.)
It is signed
Printed in script in light blue ink, lower right: E. McKnight Kauffer
It is inscribed
Printed in black ink, lower left: LITHO IN U. S. A.
Cite this object as
Poster, American Airlines to Paris; Designed by Edward McKnight Kauffer (American, active England, 1890–1954); Client: American Airlines (United States); USA; lithograph; 101.6 × 76.2 cm (40 × 30 in.); Gift of Mrs. E. McKnight Kauffer; 1963-39-141
This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Underground Modernist: E. McKnight Kauffer.
