c.1950 Washington DC Capitol American Airlines Edward McKnight Kauffer

Date: c.1950
Artist: Kauffer, Edward McKnight    
Size (in): 40” x 30.5”
Size (cm): 101.6 x 77.5
Condition: B
Linen backed: Yes

This beautiful travel poster by prolific poster artist Edward McKnight Kauffer was issued by American Airlines in the late 1940s or early 1950s to promote Washington DC as a travel destination.

American-born Kauffer’s long career in graphic design began in Great Britain where his clients included the London Underground and the Shell Oil Company among others. At the outbreak of the Second World War Kauffer returned to the United States where his skill was deployed to create several wartime posters in support of the Allied cause. This post-war poster retains some of the Modernist style elements associated with Kauffer’s earlier poster work in depicting stylized view of the United States Capitol Building set against an almost surreal night sky replete with twinkling stars.   The words “Washington” and “American Airlines” are featured in a patriotic red, white and blue and the American Airlines logo and “McKnight Kauffer” appear in the lower right corner of the image area.  

The vintage original poster has been professionally conversation mounted and backed to linen.   Some creasing and abrasions in the image area have been skillfully mitigated during the linen backing process and small areas of loss to the margin on the lower left side have been replaced.  The poster retains the original colors and displays nicely.   Overall condition is very good.