Silver Wing

Silver Wing, a product range by British Airways, captures the adventure and romance of a unique part of the aviation industry. Since the earliest years of commercial flight, artwork from amongst the most distinguished artists and designers of the day has been used for every kind of travel ephemera.

Some of the products available are:

['Le Touquet' Fine Bone China Mugs; Character Squares Mug and Roulette Mug. Diswasher and Microwave Safe. Illustrating the glamorous attractions of the French coastal resort, the 'Le Touquet' collection is based on an original design from 1937]

[Collage Apron, Oven Mitts and Tea Towels. The collage is based on designs from the 1930s, 40s and 50s]

[Postcard Set: 10 postcards in a gift wallet]

As air travel became increasingly popular, opportunities arose to promote new and fashionable destinations. Posters were commissioned that perfectly captured the romance and adventure of holidaying abroad. The Silver Wing range is based on some of those designs from the 1930s, 40s and 50s. Some of the nostalgic travel posters used in the gift range are:

INDIA BY IMPERIAL AIRWAYS

Artist: W.H.A. Constable
Circa 1935

A Handley Page H.P. 42, 'Hannibal', flying over an Indian city on the banks of a busy river.

On a door at the back of the aircraft just after the registration is a Royal Mail emblem. This was the door to a special compartment for mail bag storage.

In 1934 the government announced plans for the All-Up Empire Mail scheme. This was to mean that letters for any part of the Empire would be sent by air automatically.

IMPERIAL AIRWAYS COMFORT ROUTES

The British Air Line.

Artist unknown
1930

In this poster, the company is trying to push the comfort of their airliners, especially as they were in competition with the popular and luxurious ocean liners of the time.

The very comfortable chair, which the gentleman is sinking into with his cigarette, has its own pair of wings to distinguish the advantage of speed over the ocean liners.

More than mere ads, these posters revive the spirit of adventure from aviation’s past. If you are into vintage art and aviation, you definitely need to at least have a peep at what Silver Wing has to offer. Do drop by the Silver Wing stall on Saturday, 21st July!

Psst! The retail price at Bijou Bazaar will be way, way lower than it was back in the UK. Apparently, it's almost 1:1, i.e. if it was selling at 3.50 quid in the UK, it'll be about RM 3.50 here. Meow! to that. :o)