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In Praise of Early Air India Stewardesses






Air India/Tata Airlines' stewardess Monica Gilbet (centre) shows the flight report to a Sikh passenger during a Delhi to Bombay flight. Year 1946.

Photograph by Margaret Bourke White

Two pics of Monica Gilbet published in Life Magazine
And here are the photographs of other Air India Stewardesses, all Anglo-Indian, from the year 1946 shot by Margaret Bourke White for Life Magazine.

Stewardess Avenell Divers saying goodbye to Sunyasi ascetic after flight on Air India.
 Monica Fernandez
Peggy Henderson
June Argent
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Previously:
Air India Air Hostesses, 1946 (not sure if this is from the same collection as it's not available at Life Magazine archive)

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Tata Airlines Air Hostess. Undated. Probably early 50s.
Came across it  at: Indian Government's Online Photo Division
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Comments

  1. ShubhankarNov 12, 2010, 6:57:00 PM

    You must compile all the stuff you have posted on your blog and publish it as a book - sure to be a best-seller. Amazing stuff

    Keep up the good work brother

    ReplyDelete
  2. Vinayak RazdanNov 12, 2010, 8:47:00 PM

    At least one buyer is confirmed :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. kaivalyamNov 13, 2010, 12:20:00 AM

    hum bhee hain!
    kahaan se laate ho yeh sab..
    you in advertising?

    the women look so fresh and interested in what they are doing.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Vinayak RazdanNov 13, 2010, 10:55:00 PM

    Two buyers confirmed :)
    Nahi ji I am not even remotely connected to advertising field. I am a game developer. This is something that I do just for the fun of it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. longblackveilNov 14, 2010, 12:45:00 AM

    Brilliant and inetresting as always. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Vinayak RazdanNov 14, 2010, 1:30:00 PM

    Shukriya!

    ReplyDelete
  7. cass22Nov 15, 2010, 2:02:00 PM

    Really interesting... I really wanna know who were the first Indian air hostesses...

    ReplyDelete
  8. vinayakJan 31, 2011, 3:00:00 AM

    compile it into a book, all this has a lot of potential. being into designing. i know the importance of all this.. i am ready to buy it as well as do the layout and cover for free...seriously.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Vinayak RazdanJan 31, 2011, 12:02:00 PM

    Vinayak,
    right now I am just content doing what I am doing here and there is actually too much stuff to be put into a book. But hey thanks for the appreciation and the offer :)

    ReplyDelete

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