We’ve been lucky enough to visit the Heritage Centre in Waterside for British Airways, which is filled to the gills with memorabilia and BA branded goods, most items are only available to visitors of the head offices of the airline.
The curator of the Heritage Centre, Paul Jarvis, has just authored a new book illustrating British Airways’ history and the vital part played by mapping for navigators and travellers alike, as aviation took off and came of age. It’s filled with fantastic archive imagery like the ones we showcase here.
It draws upon the wealth of maps and images held by the archives in the British Airways Heritage Centre to show how they were used by early navigators and pioneering travellers right up to modern day jet-setters. From the early days of flying, using charts and compasses to state-of-the-art aircraft using on-board moving maps, ‘Mapping the Airways’ from Amberley Books charts the importance of mapping over the last hundred years.
Paul Jarvis mentions on his book launch “It’s clear that maps have long held a fascination for travellers and airlines have used maps in different artistic styles over the decades to entice the public to take to the skies.”
“What’s fascinating is just how maps have developed over the years and how they have become an enduring power to spark our imagination and chart our voyages through the skies.”
The book is now available throughout a wide range of online outlets, as well as through Amberley Publishing’s website. It’s certainly worth taking a look at if you love aviation history as much as we do.
TheDesignAir 