Vintage 1936 United Air Lines DC-3
Stewardess Cabin Interior Original Photo 8x10
Dated 11-5-36, Before United's DC-3 Service BeganDESCRIPTIONOriginal 8x10 black and white factory photograph taken inside a Douglas DC-3 cabin in United Air Lines service. A stewardess in a dark tailored suit, bow tie and pillbox cap, with a United Air Lines armband on her sleeve, hands a cup to a seated passenger. In the foreground a woman in a felt hat, scarf and wool coat rests her hand on the aisle armrest, a young child peers around the seat behind her, and a man looks on from the rear of the cabin. The riveted metal bulkhead with its louvered grille, the overhead luggage racks and the sculpted armrests are all visible. The white ink caption on the print reads 10154, DC-3, 11-5-36, in the numbered style of Douglas factory record prints.The DC-3 first flew on December 17, 1935, as the Douglas Sleeper Transport, after American Airlines chief C.R. Smith pressed Donald Douglas by telephone to build a larger version of the DC-2. American opened service in June 1936, and United, a Boeing customer since the 247, turned to Douglas as well. United launched DC-3 Mainliner service in 1937 in 21 seat coach, 14 berth sleeper and swivel seat Skylounge layouts, so this print was made before United's DC-3 service began. By 1939 the DC-3 carried about 75 percent of U.S. air travelers, which makes a cabin view dated within a year of the type's first flight a look at the interior that changed how Americans flew.The stewardess is as much a part of the story as the airplane. United traces the profession to May 1930, when Boeing Air Transport hired registered nurse Ellen Church to look after passengers. Early stewardesses had to be registered nurses, single, under 25, no taller than 5 feet 4 inches and no heavier than 115 pounds, and by November 1935 about 197 hostesses were flying for the nation's airlines. United introduced hot meal service on its DST and DC-3 flights in the late 1930s, and the DC-3 was one of the first airliners built with a galley. A uniformed United stewardess serving a seated passenger in the new Douglas cabin is the airline experience of 1936 in a single frame. In August 1945 five stewardesses formed the Air Line Stewardess Association, which won its first United contract in 1946.This is an original period print, not a reproduction, from a Douglas and Northrop factory photo album of the 1930s. Scanned at 600dpi so you can review every detail before you buy.Every effort is made for fact checking and provenance, including background research through news and historical archives. If any listing is incorrect in any way and you're unsatisfied with the item, please connect with me and I'll make it right. Orders placed before Noon CDT will ship same day via Ground Advantage with tracking so you know exactly when it will arrive. Returns accepted on all items exceeding $25. Rigid, professional packaging on all shipments, sealed and protected in acid free protectors. Shipping is free and already built into the price, so the BIN price is exactly what you pay, no surprise shipping costs at checkout.CONDITIONOriginal black and white 8x10 period print with a warm sepia tone and good detail through the cabin. The stewardess, her armband, the passenger in the felt hat, the child and the riveted bulkhead are clear, and the foreground seat back is soft in focus as shot. The white ink caption (10154, DC-3, 11-5-36) is crisp in the lower right. The cream border shows light edge wear and a few tiny specks. The reverse carries amber album adhesive staining, patches of paper fiber loss along the bottom edge from the album page it was removed from, a small triangle of aged tape at one lower corner, and a few silvery adhesive spots along the right edge. The residue and paper loss are on the reverse only. No tears, creases or cracks across the image area are visible in the scans. Please review all photos closely, as they are part of the description.
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