This menu is from the bar of one of the early Pan Am Clippers – a ‘flying boat’ with enough range to cross the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Produced by Boeing, the American airline had nine Boeing 307 Stratoliners in service between 1938 to 1941.

Clippers were built for one class of passenger – first class – and it was luxury all the way. Seats could be converted into bunks for overnight accommodation. There was a lounge and a dining room on board where passengers were served five or six courses, prepared in advance by chefs from top hotels and served by white-jacketed waiters.

Male and female passengers also had separate bathroom and dressing facilities.

Clippers brought exotic locations from the Far East within reach of those who could afford it - thus the drinking phrase Cheers is in many languages on this bar menu including English, French, Fijian, Hawaiian and Maori.

Smoking was allowed on airplanes – a pack cost 25c – unthinkable now. And cocktails cost 50c.

The first Clipper left from San Francisco for Hong Kong in 1938 – a one-way trip on this route took over six days to complete with the plane landing in multiple airports. After America entered WWII in 1941, Clippers were grounded or pressed into war service.

After the war, these marvelous flying machines were no longer state-of- the-art and the last Boeing 307 Stratoliner – the California Clipper – was retired in 1946, having flown over a million miles.

Courtesy Private Collection.