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Introduced in 1936, the same year as the Douglas DC-3, this United Air Lines sage green wool stewardess uniform was worn with a yellow linen blouse and included a pillbox hat complemented with a green and yellow flat bow. Prior to 1930, airlines hired only male stewards to serve passenger needs in their airliner cabins. Boeing Air Transport—later United Air Lines—was the first to hire women as stewardesses in 1930, beginning with Ellen Church (1904–65). A licensed pilot and registered nurse, Church initially applied to fly for the airline but was denied because of her gender. Undeterred, she convinced Boeing’s district manager Steve Stimpson (1896–1974) to hire her as an inflight nurse, as well as seven other female nurses, in a three-month trial to help alleviate passengers’ fear of flying. Employment of these “sky girls” as they came to be known, was popular with the flying public and led to other airlines employing women as stewardesses and hostesses. See “Remain Seated: Airliner Passenger Chairs,” on display, pre-security in the Aviation Museum and Library, located on the departures level of the International Terminal and online at: https://bit.ly/AirlinerChairs
This image was posted on December 15, 2023.