A masterwork of mid-century graphic design, this original American Airlines travel poster by E. McKnight Kauffer captures the romance of the American Southwest in a single, unforgettable image. A golden-haired cowgirl, her face half-hidden beneath the sweeping brim of a black Stetson, wears a vivid red bandana emblazoned with a lone star, while its twin tails bearing the names Arizona and Texas, while California and New Mexico frame the composition on either side.
Kauffer's signature style is on full display: bold, flat planes of color, a restrained palette of black, gold, red, and sky blue, and a compositional confidence that transforms a regional airline route into something mythic. The figure is at once anonymous and iconic; less a portrait than a symbol of the West itself.