Air France | 1965

Air France, 1965, by Jacques Nathan-Garamond

This vibrant poster showcases France's diverse landscapes through a stylised, geometric composition divided into three horizontal bands of colour. The top section depicts an urban landscape with a distinctive yellow fortress-like building, a red-orange pointed tower, and the iconic silhouette of Notre-Dame Cathedral in blue against a light blue sky. The middle section presents a mountainous alpine scene with triangular green and white peaks, pine trees, and small chalets beside a blue lake with white sailboats. The bottom section portrays a coastal setting with more sailboats, colourful beach huts, and striped jetties extending into azure waters. The entire composition uses bold, simplified forms and a rich palette of primary colours—reds, blues, yellows, and greens—creating a cheerful, modern representation of France's urban, mountain, and coastal environments. The Air France logo appears at the top in the French national colours of blue, white, and red, with "AIR FRANCE" repeated in smaller black text beneath it.

This poster was created during a pivotal period in Air France's history, as the airline was experiencing tremendous growth in the 1960s. Having entered the jet age in 1960 with the introduction of the Sud Aviation Caravelle for European routes and the Boeing 707 for long-haul flights, Air France was promoting itself with the slogan "the two best jets on the world's biggest network." By the late 1960s, the airline's passenger numbers had more than doubled compared to 1959, reaching 5.5 million passengers in 1969. The airline's modernisation included transitioning to an all-jet fleet during this decade, significantly improving productivity and financial performance. This poster exemplifies the optimistic spirit of the era, when air travel was becoming faster and more accessible to a broader public. The artwork's cheerful, modernist style reflected France's position as a diverse and desirable tourist destination—promoting not only the airline but the country itself as a place of varied landscapes and cultural riches.

Jacques Nathan-Garamond (1910-2001) was a prominent French graphic designer whose birth name was Jacques Nathan. During World War II, he adopted the surname Garamond while keeping Nathan as his middle name. After studying at the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs in Paris, he initially served as Director of Contemporary Architecture before establishing himself as a designer. His career truly flourished after the war when he became known for his distinctive graphic style, characterised by bold colours, simplified forms, and strong compositional balance. In 1952, Nathan-Garamond became a founding member of the prestigious Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI), a professional association of the world's leading graphic artists. His work for Air France forms an important part of his legacy, as he created numerous posters for the airline throughout the 1950s and 1960s, showcasing destinations across their expanding global network. Beyond Air France, he designed for other major companies including Mazda and Telefunken, creating trademarks, packaging, book designs, and corporate identities. His talent was recognised internationally when he received a gold medal at the Milan Triennale in 1957, cementing his status as one of the most influential graphic designers of his generation.