This enchanting original circa 1950 airline poster by French naval officer and artist Luc-Marie Bayle was created for TAI (Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux), one of France’s most prestigious intercontinental airlines prior to its merger into UTA.
The poster presents a richly illustrated planisphère (world map), delicately blending cartographic accuracy with whimsical fantasy. Bayle’s meticulous hand creates a double-hemisphere projection filled with lively imagery: from hot-air balloons and caravels to mythical creatures, medieval compass roses, and aeronautical routes in vibrant red and blue lines tracing TAI’s global flight network.
Above the map sits the golden-winged TAI insignia, flanked by vintage flying machines...
Category
1950s Prints and Multiples
MaterialsPaper, Lithograph