Framed or unframed, desk size to sofa size, printed by us in Arizona and Alabama since 2007. Explore now.
Shorpy is funded by you. Patreon contributors get an ad-free experience.
Learn more.
New York circa 1962. "Trans World Airlines Terminal, Idlewild Airport. Eero Saarinen, architect." Photo by Balthazar Korab. View full size.
Even in the days of its decline in the late 1980s, this was a beautiful space! I actually looked forward to going through this terminal after the long transatlantic flights from Paris, and the dreadful service on TWA. These black and white photos, though they are splendid in themselves, just don't do justice to the space. This is probably the most significant work of architecture designed for air travel in the whole 20th century - and it looked great with Leo DiCaprio as the fake pilot in "Catch Me If You Can!"
My first flight took me through this terminal in October, 1962. I thought I had arrived at what the future would look like. They handed out little packs of cigarettes ... to everyone, to my regret. As the song goes, I was "leavin' on a jet plane..."
Early days before clock was installed.
backdrop for an Alec Baldwin commercial:
I hate to say it, but the man-cave caboose looks more inviting. This looks like a giant melting igloo.
This is something straight out of The Jetsons. A 60s idea of what the future would look like, but definitely not the direction it's actually headed now.
On Shorpy:
Today’s Top 5