Photography book captures the elegant era of air travel

Left, joan Collins with Louis Vuitton cases and right, Prince in a suit and sunglasses — Left, Joan Collins, London Heathrow, 1989, Dennis Stone/Shutterstock. Right, Prince, London Heathrow, 1989, David Parker/Alamy Stock Photo

(Image credit: press)

In its heyday, flying was an ultra-chic affair. The glamorous era of air travel in the 1950s and 1960s conjures up dress codes, lobster and steak served on crisp white tablecloths complete with clinking china, and a gentle overdoing it on the cocktail trolley, which rolled down the softly carpeted aisles with a reassuring frequency.

Now, a new Rizzoli-published photography book, Come Fly With Me, pays homage to these bygone days with an eclectic curation of paparazzi pictures of celebrities dressed in their airport best, including Joan Collins, Naomi Campbell and Prince.

black and white photo of moahmmed ali in a suit holding a briefcase — Muhammad Ali, London Heathrow, 1967. *Pictorial Press Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo*

black and white image of mick jones and marianne faithful standing in an airport — Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull, London City, 1969. *William Lovelace/Stringer*

‘It is the diversity which fascinates me about flying attire,’ says author Jodi Peckman. ‘People have their own ideas about what works for travelling by air. You see everything from the “decked out’” head to toe in designer fashion to the grubbiest attire. My pet peeve is seeing people barefoot in flip-flops.’ Her edit, spanning several decades, captures The Rolling Stones in their off-duty finest, and Muhammad Ali, Dean Martin, and Frank Sinatra in fastidiously neat, sometimes three-piece, suits.

Peckman, former photography director and later creative director of Rolling Stone magazine, set simple criteria for the included images. ‘To be included in this book, it had to be a great photograph, first and foremost,’ she says. ‘It also had to be compelling to look at. The second most important thing is the subject – who would people be most intrigued seeing and who represented the era best.’

It remains to be seen with what verve we re-embrace air travel, post-pandemic, although Peckman anticipates an eventual return to normality. ‘The airplanes I have been on in the past month have been at full capacity and all the passengers seemed as they were pre-pandemic,’ she says. Will her own airport look be a stylish ode to the glory days? ‘My travel style leans toward the grubby I'm afraid. I need to be super comfortable.’

Black and white image of Dolly Parton in a suit doing a kick — Dolly Parton, London Heathrow, 1976, *Bettmann*

Black and white image of paul and linda mccartney with their two children — Paul and Linda McCartney, London Gatwick, 1971, *Central Press/Getty Images*

INFORMATION

Come Fly With Me: Flying in Style is published by Rizzoli

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Hannah Silver is a writer and editor with over 20 years of experience in journalism, spanning national newspapers and independent magazines. Currently Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*, she has overseen offbeat art trends and conducted in-depth profiles for print and digital, as well as writing and commissioning extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury since joining in 2019.