On Board With Design

In 1964, Mary Wells (later, Mary Wells Lawrence), was a senior executive with Jack Tinker & Partners when the firm was brought on board by Braniff International to create a corporate identity for the airline. Under her direction, a team including architect and designer Alexander Girard and fashion designer Emilio Pucci created a total brand design for the airline. In the end, Girard was responsible for the design of over 17,000 items—including ticket jackets, luggage tags, and timetables that are part of the Transportation Library’s collections. Girard also selected seven colors for Braniff’s jets, each of which was painted in a bold swath of color–a design innovation that came to be known as the “end of the plain plane.”

Pucci’s first line for Braniff debuted in 1965 and, in in a nod to the space mission that same year, was named Gemini IV. It featured Pucci’s signature psychedelic prints and the famous “bubble helmet,” designed to ensure that flight attendants’ hairstyles wouldn’t be disturbed on windy tarmacs. Later, in 1973, the airline commissioned artist Alexander Calder to design what would become the world’s largest flying artwork: a series of aircraft liveries that included the Spirit of the United States, to celebrate the 200^th anniversary of the United States.

Timetables from the Transportation Library Timetable Collection

Other Printed Matter

Items in the exhibit are housed at Northwestern University’s Transportation Library. Email transportationlibrary@northwestern.edu with questions, or to schedule an appointment.