Our Flying Ambassadors and Their Routes

Using America’s aviation prowess for political advantage during the late 1920s.

This eye-catching celebration of America’s aviators was published in New York by C.S. Hammond & Co. in 1928 or early in 1929. A central map of the Northern Hemisphere on a circumpolar projection highlights the aerial routes of several recent pilot teams, including the U.S. Army Round-the-World Fliers (1924), the Byrd-Bennett Trip to the North Pole (1926) and Charles Lindbergh’s Pan-American Tour in 1927-28. Photos of the dashing airmen can be seen at the top of the page.

The title referring to the pilots as ‘flying ambassadors’ could be taken quite literally. The aviation industry was marked by rapid developments during the 1920s, and the American government sought to capitalize on global interest. Several well-publicized trips were sponsored throughout the decade, including Lindbergh’s ‘Goodwill Tour’ across Latin America seen in an inset at the bottom of the page.

The map is uncommon on the market and noted in only one example in WorldCat, at the University of Illinois. This particular example was issued on behalf of The Outlook Company, published in New York by Francis Rufus Bellamy. ‘An Offer You Can’t Afford to Miss’ is presented on the verso – 52 issues of the Outlook and the Outlook Readers Atlas for only $5!

Sources: Charles Lindbergh House & Museum. OCLC# 1111686160