The Glam of Pan Am, Part 2

Collector's Weekly is an awesome vintage and antiques site that contacts me usually once a month about a new article they've published that they think may be of interest to me. I always feel bad that I haven't mentioned them here yet, but this past week they posted this wonderful article about ABC's Pan Am, collecting authentic Pan Am memorabilia, and what it was like to be a stewardess for the airline. The article features an interview with Kelly Cusack, a collector who worked for Pan Am during the 80s and 90s and who runs the The Virtual Pan Am Museum, which is definitely also worth checking out! The show's prop department has actually borrowed hundreds of period Pan Am pieces from Cusack to make the series as authentic looking as possible. Some of the tidbits I learned from the interview include:

*The flight attendant's reputation for being "easy" is false.

Sexy, yes, but easy, no. Cusack says it just isn't true and that the show tries hard to make the on-screen romances look tasteful.

*Those white gloves had to be worn at all times.

Stewardesses switched to black gloves during the winter months or when flying to colder destinations. If they took off from a warm location they'd be wearing their white gloves, and would switch to their black pair by the time they landed.

*The same group of stewardesses didn't fly together.

I think we already knew that. No one was that lucky.


The interview says that authentic Pan Am and vintage aviation relics are selling for big bucks these days, which isn't surprising thanks to the show. An official stewardess hat from the 60s recently sold for thousands online.


The Virtual Pan Am Museum is fun to poke around in, especially the Pan Am People section:

A Happy Veteran's Day, especially to all who served our country! Have a great weekend.