TOPIC / Graphic Design
Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/karenhorton/4962509369/
This vintage Swissair "Petit Dejeuner"menu napkin (or hanky / handkerchief) is a recent addition to my collection. Through the process of trying to identify the designer or artist behind this, I've rediscovered the fascinating visual history behind the Swiss airline.
It is still a mystery to me who designed this particular hanky and/or a full line of these types of menus for Swissair. The three contenders I suggest are Robert Roser, Fritz Buhler, or Fritz Butz. I'd like to thank Derrick Schultz for offering help to solve this puzzle.
I'm disappointed that the menu folder die-cut is ripped, especially since I haven't been able to locate another one yet.
"...From its early days, Swissair followed the pattern of the best Swiss advertising. For instance, a photo-montage poster by Herbert Matter in the 30's, or a poster by Herbert Leupin in the 40's, was one of the best visiting cards for anything coming from Switzerland. In the 50's, however, the publicity problem of Swissair became more complex than that of Swiss tourism. Not only had it to radiate from a a focal centre—Switzerland—but it had to adapt itself increasingly to various national and local habits as its routes went further afield. The pattern seems to indicate not only Swissair's sensitivity to and acceptance of foreign trends and sensibilities, but its assistance from Headquarters in improving local shortcomings and indifferent printing levels..."
—excerpt from "The Branding of Swissair" article by Charles Rosner for Graphis issue 77 (c. 1958).
Another clue is that there is a tiny sticker / label with the name "Mavir, Zürich."
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