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The eight-foot high Pan American World Airways floor globe featured in the aviation museum at SFO was exhibited at the 1939–1940 Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island in San Francisco where the airline operated its famous flying boats. Treasure Island was created both for the Exposition and to then become an airfield for a second municipal airport. The Exposition celebrated multiple themes including the promotion of commercial aviation. Pan American’s introduction of long-haul, over-ocean flights to Asia, Latin America, and Europe signaled a shift in the perception of how one could travel throughout the world. Far flung travel destinations became more accessible through new developments in aviation. The globe became a symbol of Pan American signifying to their customers that they could now travel the world on an airline. This was an unprecedented development for the early 20th century.
This image was posted on September 02, 2015.