This collection consists of approximately 2.84 cubic feet of airline menus and other ephemera gathered by Jean Grosdidier de Matons, circa 1963 to 2006.
This collection includes material in multiple languages.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of approximately 2.84 cubic feet of airline menus gathered by Jean Grosdidier de Matons, circa 1963 to 2006. Most of the menus are either for business class or first class service. There are menus from the following airlines: Air Afrique (France); Air France (France); Air India (India); Air Madagascar (Madagascar); Air Mauritius (Republic of Mauritius); Alitalia (Italy); Austrian Airlines (Austria); British Airways (UK); British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) (UK); Continental Airways/Airlines (USA); Iran Air (Iran); Japan Air Lines (JAL) (Japan); Kenya Airways (Kenya); KLM (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij) (Netherlands); Kuwait Airways (Kuwait); Lufthansa (Germany); Middle East Airlines (MEA) (Air Liban) (Lebanon); Pan American Airways (Pan Am) (USA); Royal Air Maroc (Morocco); SABENA (Belgium); Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS); Singapore Airlines (Singapore); South African Airways (SAA); Spanair (Spain); SwissAir (Switzerland); Thai Airways International (Thailand); Trans World Airlines (TWA) (USA); Tunis Air (Tunisia); Union Transports Aeriens (UTA) (France); and United Air Lines (USA). There are also a few miscellaneous items such as travel brochures and airline stationery.
Arrangement:
This collection is in original order, with materials organized by airline.
Biographical / Historical:
Jean Grosdidier de Matons (d. 2017) joined Force Maritime de l'Aéronautique Navale (French Naval Aviation) in August 1944 as an officer candidate and completed training with the Royal Air Force in Great Britain. Grosdidier de Matons served as a navigation officer in French West Africa before volunteering for service in French Indochina from 1948-1951. Grosdidier de Matons then served as a submarine officer with the French Mediterranean Fleet until 1953. Grosdidier de Matons served as a harbor officer and later harbor master at various ports in Africa until 1968 when he went for training at the Planning Center for Economic and Technical Cooperation in Paris, France which lead to an assignment at the World Bank where he eventually was named Division Chief for Transports in Europe-Middle East and North Africa. After retiring from the World Bank in 1987, Grosdidier de Matons founded his own international consulting company. Grosdidier de Matons was also a Doctor of Law and the author of numerous works on legal and business matters.
Provenance:
Jean Grosdidier de Matons, Gift, 2017, additional material received in 2019, NASM.2018.0003.
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
