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In the late 1920s, airline passenger seats needed to be light, yet strong, durable, and sufficiently comfortable to sit in for long hours. This United Air Lines wicker seat was installed in a Ford Tri-Motor with a single seat on each side of the aisle. It has a metal tubing frame and was mounted to the cabin floor with fittings at the feet. Wicker attached to the frame forms the back, seat, and armrests. The strength, lightness, and flexibility of wicker, a woven plant fiber, made it a natural choice for early aviation, including the basketry for hot air balloons. Chair courtesy of the United Airlines Archives. Learn more about the early days of aviation in "Flying the Main Line: A History of United Airlines" on display, post-security, in Terminal 3. http://bit.ly/TheMainLine
This image was posted on July 28, 2017.