Fly Now!: A Colorful Story of Flight from Hot Air Balloon to the 777 "Worldliner" -- The Poster Collection of the Smithsonian Na

By Joanne Gernstein London

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum draws more visitors than any other museum in the world-90,000 a day in the summertime-and the highlight of summer 2007 at the NASM will be Fly Now, the exhibit of air travel posters featured in this unique companion volume which combines arresting, colorful art, rare archival material, and a unique approach to aeronautical history.The posters-most of them never before published-feature barnstormers, gliders, and flying boats; the earliest passenger flights, the first luxury-liners, mail carriers, jets, and much more. Spanning a century and a half, they combine the popular art and the commerce of their eras, with both explored in the entertaining, informative text by a longstanding National Air and Space Museum curator. From 19th-century circus impresarios offering rides in gaudy hot-air balloons to the sleek 21st-century airliners, they offer a fascinating illustrated history of flight as it evolved from an exotic realm inhabited only by visionaries and daredevils into our modern world of speedy jets and frequent flyers-no longer extraordinary, perhaps, but still echoing with the exhilarating thrill and glamorous excitement captured here.Countless visitors to the museum?s traveling poster exhibition and the permanent exhibition America by Air will delight in the gorgeous and wonderful graphics collected in this appealing, affordable book-and so will aviation buffs, armchair travelers, and poster connoisseurs everywhere.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1426200889
• ISBN13: 9781426200885
• Release Date: May 2007
• Publisher: National Geographic Society
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 2.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 8.7" x 10.2"

Customer Reviews

Great poster book

I've been a fan of vintage flying and travel posters for many years. This book is one of the best I've seen. There is a poster on every page describing a little about each one. Some of I've seen before, but most I've never seen before. The printing and colors in the book are very well done. If anyone is interested in travel or retro posters, this is a good book to start.

Fly Back to the Golden Age of Aviation

This book is a wonderful combination of eye-catching graphics and insightful commentary. It really transported me back to an era when flying was special, elegant and exciting. Anyone interesting in the history of transportation will enjoy this book.

Make You Wnat to Soar

Fly Now! is a collection of the air and space museum but a wonderful invitation into the world of flight. I found the posters fascinating. The stories with each of them brought me into the time of which they were speaking. We take flying so for granted today. this books reveals the wonder, the danger, and the passion that brought us to this day. Bravo! Great work!