This Way to Cathay: A Pan American Airways Brochure from 1937

In 1936, Pan American Airways inaugurated the world's first commercial air service between the United States and China.  Departing from Alameda, California aboard a Martin M-130 "China Clipper," passengers reached Asia by playing hopscotch across the Pacific, stopping along the way for rest and refueling in Hawaii, the Midway Islands, Wake Island, Guam, and Manila before arriving in Hong Kong. 

With a cuising speed of 150 mph, the Martin M-130 made the 8000-mile journey to China in five and one-half days. Tickets cost $1600 per person — roughly $10,000 in contemporary dollars.

All that background comes by way of explaining why we were so excited to find a Pan American Airways brochure at a flea market in San Francisco last weekend. The booklet promotes the airline's flights to China aboard the M-130, and based on a few clues — the emphasis on the M-130, as opposed to the Boeing 314 which didn't enter service in 1939; the absence any mention of Treasure Island, which became Pan American's San Francisco base in 1939 — we estimate that it dates from 1937 (give or take a year).

As the brochure explains:

Who has never dreamed of seeing China—the treasure-house of travel wonders that no one who lives upon this world should ever fail to see. Once these were so far away that few could ever hope to reach them. No longer!  The travel adventure of a lifetime is there for the taking.

We scanned the whole thing, so if you want to learn more about travel marketing in the pioneering days of intercontinental commercial air service, feel free to thumb the virtual pages.

LINK:

Pan American Airways Transpacific Service (Complete scans of original 1937 brochure, by Telstar Logistics)

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"Flight thru Instruments" and the Fine Art of Instructional Illustration

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(IMAGES: All images photographed from the original brochure by Telstar Logistics)

Comments

[Roger Tully]

I remember when I was 6 years old and lived in Queens,NY when Pan Am Clippers flew out of NY heading for Latin America. They were huge and beautiful to watch

[Irina]

Pan American World Airways Here are some vintage Pan American materials from my private collection (unless otherwise noted): This is a brochure that Pan American published in 1937 to promote the transpacific China Clipper service from San Francisco to Hawaii, Midway Island, Wake Island, Guam.

[Logo Design]

I can't imagine the 37's brochure.
well, it's really very well designed, great stuff you shared thanks.