Skip to main content

Airline Luggage Label Special Collection

 Collection
Identifier: SDASM-SC-10003

Scope and Contents

This series contains various airline luggage labels and related stickers and baggage tags from international locations, including: North and South America, Australia, Asia and Europe.

Dates

  • 1920 - 1960

Language of Materials

English

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open to researchers by appointment.

Conditions Governing Use

Some copyright may be reserved. Consult with the library director for more information.

Biographical / Historical

Interesting design and oftentimes colorful airline labels were in abundance in the golden age of air travel, and their function extended to displaying and conveying the glamour of air travel. It also highlighted those who could partake in the as yet exclusive lifestyle of traveling by air. The labels themselves, small “works of art,” also doubled as airline advertisement, and the popularity of these labels were at a peak in the 1920s up to WWII. After WWII, traveling by air became much more economical, and the appeal and glamour of air travel all but disappeared. For example, in Britain during the war, most airlines became part of the military, when the focus on colorful labels also disappeared. As airlines and routes developed, the use of labels/tags became more utilitarian and focused on tracking and identification. Today, collecting labels is a hobby that started in the 1930s.

Extent

1.2 Cubic Feet (3 binders)

Abstract

This collection contains luggage labels from a variety of global airlines. The majority of the labels date from before World War II.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Acquired by museum before 1978 fire; original donor name lost.

Related Materials

Airline Special Collection

Title
The Descriptive Finding Guide for the Global Airline Luggage Labels Special Collection
Author
Cindy Chen
Date
2011
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives Repository

Contact:
2001 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park
San Diego 92101 USA US
(619) 234-8291
(619) 233-4525 (Fax)