TWA ad
Vintage airline ads invite you to Israel
Gallery of old posters shows how the Jewish state was presented to the world in the first few decades of its existence.
Travelers today have grown accustomed to low-cost airlines, last-minute deals, and vacation packages.
But there was a time when affordability and convenience were not tourism's main selling point. It was not so long ago that advertisements for tourism in Israel promised something more.
A curated gallery of vintage posters shows how Israel was presented to the world as an attractive destination.
No special deals. No packages. Just illustrations and photos of Israel.
Trans World Airlines (TWA) was bought by American Airlines after the September 11 attacks in 2001. But long before that, the company used illustrations by artist David Klein to promote its flights to Israel. In this 1965 poster, an illustration of Noah's ark underscores the Holy Land's biblical past
The airline promoted its flight as early as 1949 with this poster showing the walls of Jerusalem
Air France launched a more abstract poster in 1968 showing a menorah. It was designed by famous painter Georges Mathieu
Swissair poster from 1965
This early Swissair poster from 1951 shows a man dressed in haredi clothes with a donkey
Swissair later publicized its Israel flights using striking aerial photos. This poster from 1971 shows citrus groves
British airline BEA, operational between the 1940s and 70s, advertised Israel without any pictures of illustrations of the country, but with a large sun in this 70s ad
This unusual poster was created by artist Jacques Auriac for Middle East Airlines, Lebanon's national airline.
El Al, 1950s-80s
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