Rome

Mid-20th century plan of Rome published by TransWorld Airlines (TWA).

The introduction of the propeller-driven, four-engine Lockheed Constellation to the commercial aviation market after World War II totally changed the landscape for international travel. As evidenced in the promotional text on the back of this map, the revolutionary plane allowed passengers to traverse the Atlantic Ocean at five miles a minute during the overnight trip to Rome.

TransWorld Airlines was one of the numerous companies to take advantage of ‘Connie’s’ success, but few other firms were tied as indelibly to the iconic bird. The map identifies dozens of locations of interest on a vibrantly lithographed image. Small vignettes illustrate some of the iconic historic sites, while the TWA ticket office is shown with a large red flag.