New Exhibition at San Francisco International Airport Honors Japan Airlines

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New Exhibition at San Francisco International Airport Honors Japan Airlines

 

SAN FRANCISCO —  Japan Airlines: More than Fifty-Five Years of Service, a new exhibition now on view at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), pays special tribute to Japan Airlines (JAL) and its status as a major international carrier with a history of over fifty-five years of service.

 

The exhibition is presented simultaneously in four sections:

 

Uniform Styles and Traditions presents the history of the JAL female flight attendant uniform. Ten examples are displayed from the first generation uniform introduced in 1951 to the present. The exhibition also features the special kimono worn by flight attendants in keeping with the long traditions of Japanese service to the customer who is treated like a guest. The early Western-style uniforms reflect the regimental tastes of the times while JAL’s shift to the jet age in the early 1960s is seen in the changing styles of the uniforms designed by renowned couturier Hanae Mori.

 

Defining the Art of Air Travel looks at the broad array of materials produced by JAL for in-flight services.  Japanese cultural tradition has been translated into nearly every aspect of the passenger experience through careful attention to detail in cabin comforts, meal service, and even brand identity and promotional items. The aesthetic quality of meal service place settings, for instance, add to the airline’s reputation for exceptional cuisine.

 

Japan Airlines: Dawn of the Jet Age is a series of twenty-one promotional color photographs from the 1960s.  With the addition of new jet aircraft to its fleet in the 1960s, such the Douglas DC-8 and Boeing 727, JAL was positioned as a major international carrier of the jet age. The scenes in these photographs depict new features afforded by these larger airliners, including spacious lounge areas for passenger activities and the distribution of amenities such as the short robe, or happi coat, used as loungewear.

 

The exhibition, Japan Airlines in Posters, presents a colorful selection of vintage, full size travel posters typically produced in the 1970s to promote its many Asian destinations.

 

Downloadable images from the exhibition are available at: http://www.flysfo.com/web/page/about/news/pressres/exh-JAL.html.

 

Japan Airlines: More than Fifty-Five Years of Service is on view now through August 15, 2010. The exhibition is located in the San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation Library and Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum, pre-security on the Departures/Ticketing Level of the International Terminal, adjacent to the entrance to Boarding Area A. The library and museum is open free of charge from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday through Friday, and closed Saturdays and holidays.

 

San Francisco Airport Museums

The San Francisco Airport Museums program was established by the Airport Commission in 1980 for the purposes of humanizing the Airport environment, providing visibility for the unique cultural life of San Francisco, and providing educational services for the traveling public.  The Museum was granted initial accreditation from the American Association of Museums in 1999, reaccredited in 2005, and has the distinction of being the only accredited museum in an airport. Today, the San Francisco Airport Museums features approximately twenty galleries throughout the Airport terminals displaying a rotating schedule of art, history, science, and cultural exhibitions, as well as the San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation Library and Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum, a permanent collection dedicated to the history of commercial aviation.

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About San Francisco International Airport

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) offers non-stop links with more than 30 international points on 25 international carriers. The Bay Area's largest airport connects non-stop with more than 65 cities in the U.S. on 20 domestic airlines. For up-to-the-minute departure and arrival information, airport maps and details on shopping, dining, cultural exhibitions, ground transportation and more, visit www.flysfo.com. SFO was voted “North America’s Best Airport” in 2008 by passengers for its outstanding customer service and amenities.