Posts Tagged ‘Eastern Air Lines’

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ATLANTA AIRPORT ON POSTCARDS

Written on April 18, 2025 - Posted in Captain's Log, Historical, Postcard Corner

By Marvin G. Goldman

In 1925, the owner of Coca-Cola, Asa Candler, leased to the City of Atlanta his abandoned auto racetrack site for development into an airfield named Candler Field.

The first airlines to serve Atlanta were Florida Airways which operated from 1926 to 1927; St. Tammany Gulf Coast Airways, 1927, which became a division of Southern Air Transport System in 1929 and in turn part of American Airways in 1930; Pitcairn Aviation which started in 1927, was renamed Eastern Air Transport in 1930 and then became part of Eastern Air Lines in 1934; and Delta Air Service (later named Delta Air Lines) in 1930. During the 1930s, both Delta and Eastern expanded their routes into and out of Candler Field and became the main airlines serving Atlanta at the time.

In 1929, the City of Atlanta purchased the airfield from Asa Candler on favorable terms, and though the airport was officially renamed Atlanta Municipal Airport in 1942, it continued to be popularly referred to as Candler Field.

Here is my earliest postcard of Candler Field showing an airline:

Eastern Air Lines Douglas DC-2 at Atlanta’s Candler Field, mid-1930s. ‘Linen’ finish. Publisher Tichnor Bros., Boston, no. 65610. The airport’s terminal building, which opened in 1932, appears behind the center of the aircraft. The card back says “Twenty-six passenger and mail planes arrive and depart daily from this great modern airport…” *(Today, those 26 planes have grown to more than 2,700 daily!)*

In March 1939, Candler Field built its first control tower in a six-story building with administrative facilities. The control tower can be seen in this next card:

Aerial view of Candler Field showing new control tower in center, 1939. Pub’r Curteich no. 9A-H83. ‘Linen’ finish. The back of the card now proudly claims 28 daily airline arrivals/departures (up from the previous card’s 26).

In 1940, Delta Air Lines acquired four DC-2s, but these were retained only until the end of that year, being replaced by DC-3s.

Delta Air Lines Douglas DC-2, NC14921, at Atlanta, 1940. ‘Linen’ finish. Pub’r Curteich no. 0B H1385. There are two versions of this card. This one refers to the “Merry-Go-Round” at the airport, stating on the back: “Large crowds gather twice a day to view the arrival and departure, within a space of only a few minutes time, of seven large passenger ships; and this spectacular sight is known as the famous Merry-Go-Round.” The other version lacks this reference.

During World War II, Candler Field also became a U.S. air base, and it doubled in size. In 1941, Delta moved its headquarters from Monroe, Louisiana, to Atlanta, and for decades it has been the dominant airline there.

The Delta Air Lines hangar at Candler Field/Atlanta Municipal Airport with Douglas DC-3s and a Lockheed 12A Electra Junior, early 1940s. Postcard issued by Airliners International 2015 ATL. Pub’r jjPostcards. Photo courtesy of the Delta Flight Museum. Today, this hangar is part of the Delta Flight Museum, site of Airliners International ATL 2025.

Passenger numbers continued to grow, and in 1948 the airport closed its old terminal building and moved operations into a Quonset hut war-surplus “temporary” terminal while it developed plans to build a larger permanent terminal. That year saw more than 1 million passengers pass through Atlanta airport.

The “temporary” terminal proved to be not so temporary. It served until May 1961, when a new terminal designed to accommodate the jet age finally opened. Here are three postcards from the “temporary” terminal era (1948-1961) at Atlanta Municipal Airport.

*“Temporary” passenger terminal, 1948. Pub’r Curteich no. 8B-H706.*

Delta Douglas DC-6, N1902M, Delta DC-3, NC28343 “City of Miami,” and Capital DC-3 in front of Atlanta Municipal Airport “temporary” terminal, about 1949. Pub’r Atlanta News Agency, Dexter Press 50317.

Interior of the “temporary” passenger terminal at Atlanta Municipal Airport, 1948. ‘Linen’ finish. Pub’r Curteich no. 8B-H1640. In this view, you can see ticket counters for Eastern, Delta and Capital Airlines. The back of the card says “The ticket counter, 200 feet in length, is the world’s longest.”

On May 3, 1961, Atlanta Municipal Airport finally opened its new Jet-Age terminal, publicizing it as the largest single terminal in the U.S. The terminal was designed to accommodate 6 million passengers a year, but in its first year, 9.5 million passengers utilized it!

*New Jet-Age Terminal at Atlanta Municipal Airport, with tail of an Eastern Air Lines Lockheed L-188 Electra, N5509, 1961. Pub’r Curteich 1DK-777.*

Piedmont Airlines Martin 404, N40417, at Atlanta Municipal Airport. Pub’r Nelson Jones, Lakewood, Ohio, no. K-16186. This aircraft served with Piedmont from 1962-68. Note on the right, the observation deck atop Concourse C/D.

Southern Airways Martin 404, N141S, at Atlanta Airport, February 24, 1973. Pub’r AeroGem, photo by Bruce Drum. Southern became another significant airline serving Atlanta airport and eventually maintained its operational headquarters there. It introduced Martin 404s to its fleet in 1961. The airline merged with North Central in 1979 to become Republic Airlines, which became part of Northwest in 1986. Northwest merged with Delta in 2008.

Aerial View of Atlanta Airport showing Concourses B, C and D in the foreground and Concourses E and F with Delta aircraft at the top, all with a mix of jet and prop aircraft. Probably 1961. Pub’r Atlanta News Agency, Chamblee, Georgia, Dexter Press 6255-C.

In 1962, a sixth concourse, A, was added, seen here as the top left concourse. It served Eastern Air Lines along with Concourse B next to it. Concourse C in the inverted Y served Piedmont, Southern and some Eastern; Concourse D in the inverted Y served Northwest, TWA and United; and Concourses E and F on the right in this view served Delta. Pub’r Scene South Card Co., Bessemer, Alabama, no. 106086.

Delta Air Lines aircraft at Atlanta, showing rotundas and gates added in 1968 to Concourses E and F. Pub’r John Hinde, Dublin, no. 2GA13. The back of the card notes that the airport is the third busiest in the U.S., emplaning and deplaning tens of millions of passengers each year, and that between 11AM and 2PM, the airport is the world’s busiest. Airport postcard collector Chris Slimmer has called this card one of his favorites, noting “a wonderful composition. Printed by the best postcard printer in the world…John Hinde.”

Long-time Mayor William B. Hartsfield, the driving force behind the development of Atlanta Airport as a major airline hub, passed away on February 22, 1971, and on February 28, 1971, the airport name was changed to William B. Hartsfield Atlanta Airport. On July 1, 1971, following the launch by Eastern Air Lines of the airport’s first international service (to Mexico and Montego Bay), the airport was again renamed to William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport.

*Eastern Air Lines Boeing 727s near Concourse B of Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, mid 1970s. Pub’r Atlanta News Agency, Atlanta, Dexter Press no. DT-82467-C.*

On September 21, 1980, Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport opened the Midfield Terminal. It was the world’s largest air passenger terminal complex at the time, designed to accommodate up to 55 million passengers each year. It replaced in stages the old terminal and its concourses A through F.

*View of the new Midfield Terminal complex that opened in 1980, with parallel concourses containing over 125 gates. Pub’r Aerial Photography Services, Atlanta, Dexter Press 70990-D.*

A striking view of Delta aircraft, including
Boeing 727s, Lockheed L-1011s and Douglas
DC-8-61s and DC-9s, taking on passengers at
just one of Delta’s concourses at Hartsfield
Atlanta International. Pub’r Thomas Warren,
Atlanta, nos. 561109 and A-153.

Aerial view of Atlanta airport, probably
in the 1990s, showing the seven concourses of
the Midfield Terminal, T and F for international
flights and A through E primarily for domestic
flights. Pub’r APS, Kennesaw, Georgia, nos.
K41231 and KA-3-4856.

In October 2003, to honor former Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson, the Airport was again renamed, this time as Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Since 1998, Atlanta Airport has been the world’s busiest passenger airport. It serves on average 2,700 departures and arrivals daily by airlines operating nonstop to more than 150 U.S. destinations and over 70 international cities in 50 countries. In 2024, Atlanta airport handled 108.1 million passengers (an average of about 295,000 a day), the second-highest year in its history. This represents nearly a full recovery from the general decline in passenger traffic due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in 2020 and followed the airport’s record 110 million passengers in 2019.

Delta is by far the dominant airline in Atlanta, with about 73% of the passenger traffic. Southwest is second with 8%, followed by Spirit, Frontier, Endeavor Air (operating as Delta Connection), American and United.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is now engaged in a major 20-year capital improvement program, which includes modernizing its domestic terminal, expanding concourses and cargo operations, replacing parking facilities, and eventually developing a hotel and mixed-use facilities.

We close this Atlanta postcard article with a beautiful card showing the very aircraft that now resides in full splendor at the Delta Flight Museum, the site of Airliners International 2025 ATL, June 25-28, 2025, adjacent to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-200, N102DA, Spirit of Delta, its first 767, with a special livery symbolizing Delta’s role as the Official Airline of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Airline Issue, no. P98303. A variation of this card, no. P97977, exists with the aircraft closer up and lower, and with a smaller Delta Olympic logo stamp. The funds to acquire this aircraft were raised by Delta’s employees through payroll deductions. The aircraft is now on display in its original livery at the Delta Flight Museum, site of the Airliners International 2025 ATL show and convention, June 25-28, 2025.

Notes: The originals of all postcards shown are in color and from the author’s collection. All are in standard or continental size. I estimate their rarity as Uncommon: The Candler Field card with an Eastern DC-2; the ‘Temporary’ terminal card with a Delta DC-3 in the center; the Piedmont Airlines card; and the card showing Delta aircraft at the rotundas and gates added in 1968. The rest of the postcards are fairly common. This article is an update and revision of an earlier one by the author on Atlanta airport postcards published in the Spring 2015 issue of The Captain’s Log, vol. 39, no. 4.

Airliners International 2025 ATL Postcard Exhibits by Collectors: The AI 2025 show at the Delta Flight Museum, Atlanta airport, will again feature a display of airline and airport postcard exhibits. Whether you’re an experienced collector or a beginner, please consider submitting an exhibit. It’s a lot of fun, and the postcard displays stimulate greater interest in collecting airline and airport postcards. This year’s Postcard Exhibit Guidelines can be found at airlinersinternational.org under the tab Contest Information (even though it’s an exhibit, not a contest). I look forward to seeing you at Airliners International 2025, Atlanta, June 25-28.

References:

www.sunshineskies.com/atlanta.html. This is a great website with hundreds of pictures, many postcard views, and extensive information on the history of Atlanta airport.

www.atl.com. Official site of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

www.deltamuseum.org. Official site of The Delta Flight Museum, Atlanta airport, where Airliners International 2025 will be held June 25-28, 2025.

golldiecat.tripod.com/atl.html. History of Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport from 1961 to 1980, illustrated with postcard views.

Cearley, Jr., George W., Atlanta (1991) and The Delta Family History (1985), each self-published.

Davies, R.E.G., Delta: An Airline and Its Aircraft. Paladwr Press (1990).

www.wahsonline.com. Official site of the World Airline Historical Society.

Until next time, Happy Collecting. Marvin.

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Airliners International,airlines,American Airlines,Central Airlines,Continental,CR Smith Museum,Delta,DFW,Eastern Air Lines,Fort Worth,Frontier,Houston,Houston Hobby,Jefferson County Airlport,Love Field,Meacham Field,postcards,Rio Airways,Southwest,Spirit,Texas,Trans-Texas

SKIES OVER TEXAS IN AIRLINE POSTCARDS

Written on June 2, 2023 - Posted in Captain's Log, Postcard Corner

By Marvin G. Goldman

A warm welcome to Texas. I hope you enjoy our postcard trip through the skies of the Lone Star State as well as the Airliners International™ 2023 show and convention at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

*This postcard shows a Trans-Texas Airways Douglas DC-3, airline issue late 1940s, with ‘linen’ finish.*

Let’s start with postcards of airlines that served Texas and are now history, followed by leading airlines that continue to operate in Texas skies.

Braniff Airways Douglas DC-3 over Dallas, early 1940s, airline issue. Braniff Airways was incorporated in 1930. Originally based in Oklahoma, it moved its operation and maintenance base to Dallas Love Field in 1934 and its administrative headquarters to Dallas in 1942.

Braniff International Airways Convair 340, N3423, in service with Braniff during 1953-1967 (with an American Airlines Convair in the background), at Greater Fort Worth International Airport, Amon Carter Field. Braniff Airways changed its name to Braniff International Airways in 1948 and to Braniff International in 1965.

Of course, we cannot leave Braniff without noting one of its iconic “Flying Colors” aircraft. Here is Braniff International’s famous “747 Braniff Place,” Boeing 747-100, N601BN, airline-issued oversize postcard, 9 x 23 mm. The aircraft, based at Dallas/Fort Worth airport, served in Braniff’s fleet from 1971 until the airline’s demise in 1982.

Eastern Air Lines Douglas DC-2, NC13735, over Houston, Texas. Airline issue, 1936-37. This postcard was republished in slightly different colors by Curteich in 1937 as no. 7A-H1739. Eastern’s predecessors started service in 1926, adopting the Eastern Air Lines name in 1934. In 1936 Eastern extended its route network to Texas by acquiring Wedell-Williams Air Service. Eastern continued as an airline until 1991.

*Eastern Air Lines Douglas DC-3 at Houston Municipal Airport (renamed Hobby Airport in 1967), probably in 1940s. Pub’r Bluebonnet News, Houston; printer Colourpicture H-12, 16910.*

Central Airlines was a local service airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, and operated in Texas and nearby states from 1949 until 1967 when it was acquired by the original Frontier Airlines. This postcard shows a Central DC-3 in a 1959 painting by Charles Hubbell to commemorate the 10^th anniversary of the airline. Publisher John Stryker, Western Fotocolor, Fort Worth, Texas, no. 29462.

*Frontier Airlines Convair 580, airline issue. On June 1, 1964, Frontier became the first airline to fly the Convair 580. This is the original Frontier Airlines that operated from 1950 to 1986.*

Rio Airways de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter at Dallas/Fort Worth airport. Published by jjPostcards as part of a set of eight new postcards of aircraft at DFW presented to full convention registrants at Airliners International 2023 DFW.
Rio Airways was a regional airline headquartered in Killeen, Texas, that operated from 1967 to 1987 in several Texas cities and eventually in neighboring states. At times it served at DFW under the Delta Connection brand and then as Braniff Express.

Trans-Texas Airways Douglas DC-3 “Starliner” flying over San Jacinto Monument, located about 16 miles east of Houston, Texas. A/I about 1949, printer Colourpicture, Boston, no. P1496, photo by Jim Thomas, Houston. Founded in the early 1940s, Trans-Texas changed its name to Texas International Airlines in 1969, and in 1982 it merged with Continental Airlines.

*Continental Airlines Boeing 727-200, N29730, in service with Continental 1973 – 1995, airline-issued postcard featuring nonstop service to Houston, one of its major airport hubs.*

Continental Airlines Boeing 777-200 at Houston International Airport, issued for the Airliners International show in 2002. Photo by Duane L. Young, and sponsored by jjPostcards—The World of Aviation Postcards. Continental merged with United in 2010.

Now let’s turn to some of the leading airlines currently serving Texas. We start with American Airlines which has the longest continuous operating history in Texas and maintains its headquarters in Fort Worth near Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

American Airlines Douglas DC-3 at Fort Worth’s municipal airport, Meacham Field, probably in early 1937. Airline issue A-245-C. Predecessor airlines of American started operations in Texas in the 1920s, and American has grown its hub at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to be the second largest in the U.S. (after Delta’s Atlanta hub). At DFW airport American has had a market share of up to 86% of all passengers.

*American Airlines Convair 240 at El Paso International Airport, 1948 to 1950s.*
*Publisher Petley 653.*

*American Airlines Boeing 707 and 727-100 at Dallas Love Field, probably in the 1970s. Pub’r All-Tom Corporation, Arlington TX, Dexter Press D-21998-C.*
*(I hope that Braniff BAC-1-11 knows where it’s headed.)*

*American Airlines MD-80s converging on its DFW airport hub, 1990s.*
*Pub’r The Texas Postcard Co., Plano TX D-150, 711.*

Delta Air Lines started operating in Texas, from Dallas, in 1929. This postcard shows a Delta Convair at Jefferson County Airport serving Beaumont and Port Arthur, Texas, in the 1960s. Pub’r Edwards News Co., Port Arthur & Beaumont, printer Curteichcolor.

*Delta Air Lines Boeing 777-200, introduced in 1995. Airline issue, 2000.*

United Airlines “Houston” destination postcard. When Continental Airlines merged with United in 2010, United acquired Continental’s huge hub in Houston and then expanded it further. United is the largest airline at Houston, carrying over 70% of its passenger traffic.
Note: skyline pictured is actually Dallas, not Houston, TX.

Dallas, Houston, and other Texas airports are also served, of course, by many non-U.S. airlines. One of the earlier international entrants was KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Here is a KLM Douglas DC-8 at Houston (Hobby) International, 1960s. Pub’r H.S. Crocker MW-6.

*Spirit Airlines Airbus A321, issued by Airbus Deutschland GmbH, no. 148. Low-cost Spirit serves over 20 destinations from Dallas/Fort Worth airport alone.*

Frontier Airlines 737-200, N237TR, which entered service from Dallas-Fort Worth to Denver on September 24, 1999. Airline issue. The current low-cost Frontier Airlines started service in 1994 and now flies to some 20 destinations from Dallas alone.

We close with the airline that, along with American, is most associated with Texas skies – Southwest Airlines, also headquartered in Dallas. Southwest commenced operations in 1971 from its base at Love Field, Dallas. At first, it was an intrastate Texas airline, but in 1979 it started expanding to other states and eventually to international destinations as well. Today Southwest is the third largest airline in the U.S. (behind American and Delta) in terms of passengers carried.

*Southwest Airlines 737-300, N352SW, in special “Lone Star One” livery designed in 1990 for Southwest’s 20^th anniversary, here with a special passenger. Al Canales collection.*

*Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-300 on final approach to Dallas Love Field.*
*Al Canales collection.*

NOTES: All postcards in this article are from the author’s collection unless otherwise noted.

Below is my estimate of the rarity of the above postcards:

Rare: Trans-Texas DC-3 with hostess, Braniff DC-3 over Dallas, and Eastern DC-2 over Houston;
Uncommon: Central Airlines, Trans-Texas DC-3 over San Jacinto Monument, Continental 727-200 Houston, American DC-3 at Meacham Field, American Convair 240 at El Paso, Delta Convair at Jefferson County Airport, and KLM DC-8 at Houston;
The rest are fairly common.

I hope to see you at Airliners International™ 2023 DFW, June 22-24, 2023, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, next to Terminal C at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. This is the world’s largest airline history and collectibles show and convention, with more than 200 vendor tables for buying, selling, and trading airline memorabilia (including, of course, airline and airport postcards), seminars, the annual meeting of the World Airline Historical Society, annual banquet, tours and more.

Follow this link for more information on entering the postcard, model and photograph/slide contests.

Until then, Happy Collecting, Marvin

American Airlines postcard, artist Joseph Charles Parker, 5 x 7 in (12.7 x 17.8 cm).
Part of a set of historic posters in postcard form believed to have been issued several years ago by American Airlines’ C. R. Smith Museum, Dallas.

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Posts Tagged ‘Eastern Air Lines’

ATLANTA AIRPORT ON POSTCARDS

SKIES OVER TEXAS IN AIRLINE POSTCARDS

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