"Hollywood fashion designer #HowardGreer (1896–1974) created this fitted suit in light blue wool gabardine for TWA in 1945. It was known as the “cutout” for the openwork TWA lettering on the shoulder. With suggestions from supervisor of hostess services Ida Staggers, Greer introduced the “blou-slip,” a combined undergarment in rayon and satin that did not need constant tucking in. The triangular jacket flap could be unbuttoned to cover the TWA lettering, allowing the hostess to smoke or have a cocktail while off duty. Image: TWA (Trans World Airlines), Audrey McNamara Nevis, c. 1945. Gift of the Estate of Audrey McNamara Nevis. 2013.057.001" This was posted to our Instagram account on April 01, 2020 – https://millsfield.sfomuseum.org/instagram/1729355385/

"During the Vietnam War, commercial airliners along with their crews were chartered to fly US troops into combat zones. Soldiers no longer deployed to the war zone with their units, but as individuals or in small groups for distribution to their units upon arrival. A typical charter flight of about 200 people included members of dozens of different units and all branches of service. Veterans recall this as an isolating and disorienting experience. These feelings of isolation and confusion made the efforts of the flight attendants critical. Flight attendants remember the passengers being very respectful to them. Learn more about these chartered flights in “Flying the Freedom Birds: Airlines and the Vietnam War.” See the online exhibition at: http://bit.ly/FreedomBirds" This was posted to our Instagram account on May 15, 2020 – https://millsfield.sfomuseum.org/instagram/1729355251/

"Pan American Airways pioneered commercial airline service to Latin America and the Caribbean in the late 1920s and early 1930s, when air travel was first developing into a viable form of transportation. By 1930, the airline linked twenty-nine Latin American and Caribbean countries and territories with regularly scheduled airmail, passenger, and cargo flights. Pan Am’s public relations and advertising manager Daniel Rochford (1900–89) traveled extensively throughout Central America in the winter of 1930–31 and helped document Pan America’s operations from Cristóbal in the Panama Canal Zone to Guatemala, photographing PAA’s service in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador. See Daniel Rochford’s photographs in “Pan American Airways in Central America,” online at: http://bit.ly/PAAinCA" This was posted to our Instagram account on May 01, 2020 – https://millsfield.sfomuseum.org/instagram/1729355315/

"Our newest exhibition, “Surf’s Up! Instrumental Rock ‘n’ Roll” is on display now in Terminal 2 and online. Instrumental surf music swept across the United States like a great sonic wave during the early 1960s. Energetic and melodic with little or no vocal accompaniment, instrumental surf music originated in Southern California along with a booming interest in surfing and the subsequent pop-cultural craze. The music was loud and dynamic, driven by Fender guitars and a powerful rhythm section. The genre was revived in the early 1980s and spread worldwide in the 1990s, and today there are active surf and instrumental scenes throughout the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Japan, and across Europe. Featuring 12 guitars played by the great instrumental surf rock hitmakers, this exhibition is a showcase of their talent. See “Surf’s Up! Instrumental Rock ‘n’ Roll” online at: http://bit.ly/InstrumentalSurf" This was posted to our Instagram account on November 03, 2020 – https://millsfield.sfomuseum.org/instagram/1763559003/

"In honor of our 40th anniversary, every week this year we are highlighting one of our past exhibitions. In 2015, we presented “Classic Monsters: The Kirk Hammett Collection” which featured dozens of objects from Universal’s monster movies from the 1920s to the 1950s. From The Mummy to Dracula, Kirk Hammett has collected a jaw dropping collection of movie memorabilia. Do you remember this exhibition? See “Classic Monsters: The Kirk Hammett Collection” online at: http://bit.ly/31iJVd1" This was posted to our Instagram account on August 06, 2020 – https://millsfield.sfomuseum.org/instagram/1729355149/

"This vibrant sculptural collage, featuring a star form constructed from a bent I-beam, a cast aluminum redwood branch and fluorescent lights, establishes a strong focal point for passengers as they traverse the corridor. The star shape changes from every viewpoint, while the silver branch acts as an anchor in space, transfixing the kinetic form. Amber, violet, and red fluorescent lamps project light rays that radiate out from the sculpture. “Red Cadmium Giant” by #MarkHandforth is online at https://bit.ly/34CvtRI" This was posted to our Instagram account on September 01, 2020 – https://millsfield.sfomuseum.org/instagram/1729355101/

"When Natalya Burd was in her last year in high school, she took a train ride with her father from their home in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to Moscow, Russia. There, the artist would compete for a scholarship to attend a university level art school. Over the course of their 2,000-mile, four-day journey, Burd remembers seeing varied landscapes whiz by in cinematic fashion—from the sculpted mountain ranges of her homeland to the vast forests of Russia and the dusty roadsides along the way. That journey would have a major impact on Burd and her artistic practice for years to come. “So much more than this” is an example of a work inspired by this journey. “So much more than this” by #NatalyaBurd is online at: https://bit.ly/3i8vEI9" This was posted to our Instagram account on August 11, 2020 – https://millsfield.sfomuseum.org/instagram/1729355147/

"“I ask for the movement to continue, for the movement to grow, because last week I got a phone call from Altoona, Pennsylvania, and my election gave somebody else, one more person, hope. And after all, that's what this is all about. It's not about personal gain, not about ego, not about power — it's about giving those young people out there in the Altoona, Pennsylvanias, hope. You gotta give them hope.“ - Harvey Bernard Milk (1930–78), visionary human rights leader, groundbreaking political luminary, and seminal figure of the LGBTQ rights movement. See “Harvey Milk: Messenger of Hope” and read the full exhibition catalog online at: http://bit.ly/HarveyMilkExhibition" This was posted to our Instagram account on January 04, 2021 – https://millsfield.sfomuseum.org/instagram/1763558935/

"A well-known and multi-talented Hollywood figure, Beverly Hills designer Don Loper (1906–1972) added airline stewardesses to the long list of stars wearing Don Loper originals. This circa 1959 Pan American wool suit in Tunis Blue created a fresh look with sharp, angular features exclaiming the aerodynamic mood of the exciting new jet age. The fitted jacket’s hourglass shape was emphasized by the slant of the triangular faux pocket flap, swept-back cuff, and partial peaked collar boldly traced by the blouse. A matching pencil skirt with a deep kick pleat completed the silhouette, while the hat’s forward fin and white piping punctuated the statement. Do you remember this uniform? Image: Pan American World Airways, stewardesses, c. 1959. Gift of Teresa Damgaard. 2010.245.001" This was posted to our Instagram account on May 13, 2020 – https://millsfield.sfomuseum.org/instagram/1729355261/

"Continental Airlines launched Boeing 747 jumbojet service in 1970. To promote its widebody-operator status, the airline introduced a new line of uniforms. Stewardesses were offered a choice of several ensembles. A form-fitting, polyester mini-dress projected a flashy, energetic look of casual comfort with bright stripes in Continental’s corporate colors (introduced a few years earlier). It featured a gold-tone chain belt with a monogrammed medallion. Worn with patterned scarves featuring the airline’s circular contrails logo and complemented with red pumps, the uniforms were issued until 1973 and were in use for the introduction of the airline’s next widebody airliner, the McDonnell Douglas DC-10. Do you remember this uniform? See “Widebody: The Launch of the Jumbojets in the Early 1970s” online at: http://bit.ly/WidebodyAV" This was posted to our Instagram account on May 12, 2020 – https://millsfield.sfomuseum.org/instagram/1763558837/