"Colorado" Vintage United Airlines Travel Poster by Joseph Feher, 1950s

Offered is a vintage travel poster for United Airlines from the 1950s. This advertisement poster shows Colorado as one of United Airlines' alluring travel destinations. The design features a scene of Garden of the Gods park in Colorado Springs. The work was designed by artist Joseph Feher, a prominent mid-century modern poster artist.

Founded in the 1920s, United Airlines has grown to be one of the world's largest airlines. The company got their start delivering mail, as most airlines did at the time, and later shifted to passenger travel. Following WWII, domestic flight mileage in the United States tripled in four years. United Airlines introduced the DC-6 in 1947 for a non-stop transcontinental journey from the West Coast in 10 hours. It also rounded out its western route destinations from San Francisco to Los Angeles, Denver, and the Pacific Northwest, routes that helped it overtake American Airlines as the largest American airline by 1960. 

United was equally pioneering in its advertising during these years. Its first campaign in 1948 was quickly followed by an eight poster campaign by Joseph Feher focusing on Western destinations. This poster features a scenic view of five horseback riders at the base of the famous Garden of the Gods park. The image is painterly in its style, with watercolor-like details. The image is composed in alluring and vibrant shades of green, red,  blue and yellow. The poster reads “Colorado” in block letters at top. The company name "United Airlines" is printed boldly at the bottom in white lettering.

Posters such as this one were used to advertise the destinations customers could travel to with United. By highlighting scenic landscape depictions and attractive monuments, these posters encouraged flight ticket sales and American tourism. 

CONDITION:

Overall very good condition. Paper is healthy with only light creasing to corners. Linen backed.  Poster Dimensions:17 ¾ H x 11”W. 

Poster is framed according to the highest conservation standards in a custom black wooden frame. Framed Dimensions: 19 1/4” H x 12 3/4” W x 3/4” D.