My TAI
Mrs. Bali and I took a little trip over to Eastern Minnesota today to do some antiquing in the quaint old towns along the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers. I wasn't expecting to find anything even remotely Polynesian in these far-flung river valleys filled with stern Lutheran farmers, so imagine my surprise when I spotted this lonely little souvenir tiki mug ($8) given to passengers on TAI Airlines back in the 1960s. TAI provided regular jet service to Tahiti from France, and they put out beautifully designed travel posters like the one shown above. Here's a gallery of smallish scans:
[Link: TAI Airlines posters]
P.S. Just be thankful I bought this and not the painting of a sad-eyed clown with a wind-up nose that played circus music.
Comments
I always thought TAI was a short-haul airline traveling between various archipelagos and islands. Who provided the Paris to Tahiti part of their service?
Posted by: jkcohen | November 22, 2006 8:45 PM
Have a look at this 1963 TAI timetable. They not only flew from France to Polynesia, but to Africa, Asia, and Australia as well.
Posted by: MrBaliHai | November 22, 2006 9:03 PM
Ah. I was looking at http://www.airtahiti.aero/popup.php?fichier=popup_reseau.htm
Posted by: jkcohen | November 22, 2006 9:20 PM
excellent. I've made a report on this company on Tiki central after finding this mug myself. Great find
Posted by: virani | November 23, 2006 3:14 PM
Virani: yes, if I hadn't read that Tiki Central thread, I probably would have missed this mug completely. Thanks!
Posted by: MrBaliHai | November 23, 2006 3:25 PM
I have a clown painting like the one you describe.
Posted by: Max Sparber | November 23, 2006 7:51 PM
Max: that's very similar to the one I saw, but mine had a clown holding a balloon and resting its head on the shoulder of a child clown. I don't recall what tune was played when you turned the nose, but it wasn't Send In The Clowns.
Posted by: MrBaliHai | November 23, 2006 8:43 PM
LOVE the tai girl!
i have a "thing" for noseless illustrations!!
Posted by: mod*mom | November 24, 2006 10:43 AM