Vintage airline posters can make modern travel feel slightly disappointing. David Klein’s TWA work belongs to an era when getting on a plane was sold as glamorous, optimistic and genuinely new.
Klein’s posters use colour brilliantly. Some are recognisable city scenes; others push much further into stylisation, turning a destination into movement, pattern and atmosphere rather than a literal view.
This is one of the reasons we love Mid-Century travel advertising. The poster is not trying to show you everything about New York, Paris or another destination. It is trying to make you want to go there, usually in a couple of seconds.
For collectors, Klein can lead in several directions at once: TWA, aviation, a favourite city or Mid-Century graphic design. That makes his work particularly enjoyable to build around.
Popular airline imagery has been reproduced extensively, so an original needs more than the right picture. Dimensions, paper, printer information, date and provenance all help establish what the sheet actually is.
What to Look For When Collecting David Klein
His TWA imagery has been reproduced extensively for decor and posters alike. Dimensions, paper, printer information and provenance all help confirm a genuine period original.
Original Posters by David Klein
A live look at David Klein posters currently in the Printed Originals collection.
