A new book by the British Airways’ Heritage Centre’s Paul Jarvis maps out the airline’s history and the vital part played by mapping for navigators and travellers alike. From the early days of flying, using charts and compasses to state-of-the-art aircraft using on-board moving maps, ‘Mapping the Airways’ charts the importance of mapping over the last hundred years.
It draws upon the wealth of maps and images held by the archives in the British Airways Heritage Centre to show how they were used by early navigators and pioneering travellers right up to modern day jet-setters.
Paul, who is the curator of the Heritage Centre, said: “It’s clear that maps have long held a fascination for travellers and airlines have used maps in different artistic styles over the decades to entice the public to take to the skies.
“What’s fascinating is just how maps have developed over the years and how they have become an enduring power to spark our imagination and chart our voyages through the skies.”
The book draws on a wealth of fascinating and unique material from the British Airways archive and focuses on the beautiful images, functional maps and carefully crafted advertising artworks charting the growth of aviation around the world.