Commercial aviation has been a popular subject of picture postcards for decades, showing us how airlines, airports, airliners and passengers looked at differing points in time. While photographs depict more exact realism, postcards bring back images many forgotten aspects of the aviation industry.
Postcards are an important medium in telling stories of the past. They are historical masterpieces, showing life at points in time.
Shown on this page are but a small sampling of the thousands of historic picture postcards that have been printed and distributed over the decades.
Included are postcards of airlines that still exist, such as American, Delta and United.
And we have images of airliners from airlines that have been engulfed in takeovers, and victims of bankruptcy and changing times: Braniff International, Northeast Airlines, Pan American World Airways, Trans Texas Airways, and Ozark Airlines, among others.
And be sure to view our Collection of Vintage Postcards of U.S. Airports
Enjoy our airplanes of the past ... presented in historic, vintage picture postcards!
American Airlines
American Airlines DC-3 Flagship
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American Airlines DC-3 Flagship at Port Columbus Ohio
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American Airlines DC-3 Flagship |
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American Airlines Convair Flagship Boston
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American Airlines Lockheed Electra
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Welcome Aboard Your American Flagship -
Souvenir Booklet About American's New Jet Fleet |
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Delta Airlines
Delta Air Lines Air Freighter
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Delta Air Lines DC-7 Airliner
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Delta Air Lines Convair Airliner |
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Delta Air Lines - One of America's Pioneer Scheduled Airlines |
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Eastern Airlines
Eastern Airlines Douglas DC-3 - famed for its record of dependable service
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Eastern Airlines Douglas DC-7B
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Eastern Airlines Douglas DC-3 at Municipal Airport, Jacksonville, Florida
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Eastern Airlines Martin 404 airliner
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National Airlines
National Airlines DC-7
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National Airlines Lockheed Electra
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Northwest Orient Airlines
Northwest Orient Airlines Stratocruiser ... Finest ... Fastest |
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Pan American Airways
Pan American Airways Douglas DC-3
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Pan American Airways Terminal, Brownsville, Texas
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Pan American Airways Airliner
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Pan American Airways Terminal, Miami, Florida
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Pan American World Airways ... Preview of Tomorrow's Flying Clippers |
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Pan American World Airways
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Pan American World Airways Constellation
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Pan American World Airways Boeing 747
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Pan American World Airways Terminal at JFK Airport, New York
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Trans World Airlines (TWA)
TWA DC-3 at County Airport between McKeesport and Pittburgh, PA
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Trans World Airlines
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Trans World Airlines Constellation in Flight
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Trans World Airlines Super-G Constellation
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United Airlines
United Air Lines N37559 departing passengers
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United Air Lines Douglas DC-7 Mainliner N6302C
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United Air Lines ... boarding passengers on the apron |
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Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines Boeing 747 in flight (circa 1970) |
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The Polynesian Pub aboard a Continental Airlines 747 (circa 1970) |
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The Ponape Lounge aboard a Continental Airlines 747 (circa 1970) |
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Braniff Airways and Trans Texas Airlines
Braniff International Airways
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Trans Texas Airways DC-3
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