1950s Photos Reveal How Babies Travelled On Airplanes In The Past
(From Bored Panda - www.boredpanda.com)
and NL reader Diane Bellamy
According to rare photos from 1953, attempts to provide the best flying experience included awesome engineering solutions for the youngest travelers!
As official vintage photographs suggest, British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) went the extra mile to ensure customer satisfaction. BOAC (the predecessor of British Airways) had developed hammock-like “skycots” for babies, travelling long-distance. If needed, these skycots would be attached to the luggage rack, allowing the infant to sleep comfortably and safely (the design of the cot prevented them from falling out). However, the child had to be held by a parent for take-off and landing; the same practice continues to this day.
Although today’s airlines provide similar bedding for babies, most of them attach to the bulkhead instead. Click on image below for more photos or visit www.boredpanda.com/vintage-infants-airplane-skycot-boac-flights
So, if you think the image above may have been a bit primitive and unsafe, the photo below shows how some mothers handled the same issue in London in the 1930's. The cages were designed in a more innocent age and with the best of intentions. With this wire enclosure, parents didn’t need to leave the house to give their children a healthy dose of sunshine and fresh air. The only problem was that the cage was suspended precariously off the side of a building.
For the story and other images follow this link
or click on the image above.