{"product_id":"air-india-in-flight-menu-1970s","title":"Air India In-flight Menu, 1970s","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis colorful and highly detailed Air India menu cover was probably part of the national carrier’s priceless collection of artworks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the 1940s to the 1990s, Air India collected contemporary and folk-art paintings from prominent Indian artists such as M F Husain, V A Gaitonde and Jatin Das to decorate its bookings offices around the world. Some of them also featured on in-flight menu covers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Ministry of Culture took over the collection of the national air carrier in 2018 and some of the art collection, possibly including this painting, is on show at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Mumbai.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis menu also featured Air India’s iconic Maharaja mascot on its interior pages.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eServing as Air India’s mascot since 1946, during the last year of British rule in India, the Maharaja icon was designed by the airline’s commercial director Bobby Kooka and Umesh Rao of the J Walter Thompson advertising agency. At that time, India had 600 Maharajas ruling smaller principalities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Maharaja was instantly recognizable with his pot-bellied figure, twirly mustache, striped turban and serene expression. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe portly figure in regal garb with hands folded in namaskar, the traditional Indian greeting or gesture of respect, could be seen in different humorous scenarios on travel posters – sharing a spot in the Louvre with the Mona Lisa, skiing in Switzerland and trying to catch a mermaid in Sydney, Australia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe debt-ridden national air carrier was taken over by the Tata Group in 2021 and the mascot, albeit with a sleeker and more modern image, continues to be part of the airline's branding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis 1970s menu was distributed on flights from New Delhi and Bombay to London via Moscow and the food and drinks offerings were in English and French.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGallery quality Giclée print on natural white, matte, 100% cotton rag, acid and lignin free archival paper using Epson Ultrachrome HD archival inks. Custom printed with border for matting and framing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb style=\"line-height: 1.2;\"\u003eEach order includes a print of the interior menu.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb style=\"line-height: 1.2;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAll printed in USA.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Vintage Menu Art","offers":[{"title":"8.5x11\" Archival Print (Unframed) $25.00","offer_id":48185502072995,"sku":"frh1790054692854","price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"11x14 Archival Print (Unframed) $30.00","offer_id":48185502105763,"sku":"uaf1790054692855","price":21.9,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"13x19 Archival Print (Unframed) $40.00","offer_id":48185502138531,"sku":"nqy1790054692856","price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"16x20 Archival Print (Unframed) $55.00","offer_id":48185502171299,"sku":"plk1790054692857","price":36.85,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20x24 Archival Print (Unframed) $85.00","offer_id":48185502204067,"sku":"zax1790054692858","price":52.7,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"24x36 Archival Print (Unframed) $135.00","offer_id":48185502236835,"sku":"jjt1790054692859","price":85.05,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0762\/1787\/6643\/files\/air-india-in-flight-menu-1970s_1.webp?v=1790054701","url":"https:\/\/dripcoffeepot.shop\/products\/air-india-in-flight-menu-1970s","provider":"My Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}