SKY SOCIETY

Original Swissair Posters & Ephemera –
Winter 2019/20 Exhibition

Opening remarks at the vernissage on October 3 by PLACART owner Tomas Rabara, followed by a presentation by Konrad Korsunsky, who worked in Swissair’s advertising department from 1964 to 1998, most recently as advertising director.

For more information about the exhibition and the public events, as well as a list of the available posters, please click here:

Posters that were hardly ever seen on the streets

It has been 100 years since Swiss aviation pioneers took off on the first scheduled flights with their newly founded airlines—the forerunners of the airline that would go on to shape not only Swiss civil aviation for decades: Swissair.

Thanks in part to its sophisticated corporate identity, designed by Rudolf Bircher, Swissair began setting industry standards in the 1950s and 1960s. Switzerland was accordingly proud of «its» airline, which soon came to play a role that was virtually synonymous with the nation’s identity—and was accordingly shocked when it was grounded.

The posters on display in the exhibition—more than 120 originals, primarily from the 1930s through the 1960s—as well as the brochures, flight schedules, and similar ephemera—show the public the sometimes charming, sometimes progressive ways in which Swissair promoted its services—and, by extension, Switzerland itself—during its heyday.

Even the older visitors are likely to be seeing many of these posters for the first time. For one thing, many of the posters on display are now virtually impossible-to-find collector’s items; for another, the posters were rarely displayed in public—Swissair used them almost exclusively in its agencies and travel agencies around the world.

Nostalgia, yes—but not only that

This look back at the golden age of aviation doesn't have to be just about nostalgia. For example, these works bear witness to the first-rate work of Swiss graphic designers, who brought «Swiss Style» to the world and cemented its reputation, which remains strong to this day.

At the same time, the posters reflect society’s once-prevailing attitudes, its perceptions—and its evolution. For example, while Swissair’s primary goal in the 1930s was to use its posters to allay potential customers’ fear of flying, after World War II, the focus soon shifted to alleviating their fear of the unknown—and then to finding the right balance as the seller’s market turned into a buyer’s market. These are precisely the themes addressed in the Events.

«Sky Society» is rounded out by artifacts from Swissair's eventful history, as well as handmade airplanes from the model-building workshop of Peter Wyss. For example, the jumbo jet pictured here, which is on display in the exhibition, has a wingspan of about 80 cm.

I look forward to welcoming you to PLACART soon.

Tomas Rabara