(Flying first class in the 1960s—a suite of photos from historicalphotos.com)
For some reason, the idea of flying came into my head for this week’s Toolbox. Maybe it was because a friend was flying back from Ireland, or maybe it was because I had to get to a speech in June and was wondering whether to fly or drive. Probably both.
So this is a gathering of interesting sites on the history of flight and aviation, from the earliest stages in the Renaissance through 1976. That very specific end-date is purely personal, though I’ll share the reason—I didn’t fly until I took a flight for overseas studies to Sri Lanka in 1976 when I was 16. The airliner was not like it is pictured above from the heyday of smoking/fedoras/ties/pearls, but it was definitely not like the ultra-casual habits of air travelers today, who would think nothing of freshening up right there in their overflowing seats next to you.
And yes here’s another wayback photo of air travel (admittedly first class) in the 1960s, just because it is so, well, unexpected:
Putting aside in-flight ciggies, white linen serving jackets, champagne, pearls, and pointed things on the serving cart, we’ll get to the heart of the matter: how did people get to DO such things flying 7 or 8 miles above the ground in 40-below temperature?
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