Come Fly with Us! : A Global History of the Airline Hostess

by Omelia, Johanna

• ISBN13: 9781933112060
• ISBN10: 1933112069
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-05-19
• Publisher: Collectors Pr

Summary

When the first commercial flights took off in the 1930s, stewardesses were registered nurses whose duties included swatting flies and helping passengers read railroad timetables in the event of forced landings. In the 1950s, stewardesses were viewed as wives-in-training, as adept at preparing a baby's bottle as mixing a martini. By the swinging '60s and '70s, female flight attendants were considered successful marketing tools, sporting microminis, hot pants, and buttons that read "Pure, Sober, and Available" to lure male business passengers on board. "Come Fly with Us! explores the unique history of this industry pioneered by women, tracing changes in the flight attendant's role -- from flying nurse to airborne sex kitten to today's custodian of safety and service. Stunning visuals from airline archives and early flight maps, promotional brochures, and print advertisements re-create a sense of the early days and underscore the dramatic changes that have occurred in this dynamic industry.

Table of Contents

Welcome	p. 4
Acknowledgments and Foreword	p. 6
The 1930s: Nurses Become the First Stewardesses	p. 10
The 1940s: Patriotic Sky Girls and Fly Girls	p. 30
The 1950s: The Stewardess as a Wife-in-Training	p. 48
The 1960s: Stewardesses Become Sex Objects	p. 74
The 1970s: Fly-Me Girls Meet the ERA	p. 108
The 1980s and 1990s: Flight Attendants Stress Safety and Service	p. 136
The New Millennium: New Planes, New Challenges	p. 150
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.