Lot #9: Air France CONCORDE FLATWARE - 2

First devised by a team of aerospace engineers, the interiors of the Concorde were later revisited by a number of designers for commercial flight purposes. Air France chose Raymond Loewy and his CEI studio to outfit its first Concorde in 1976. Loewy designed every detail of the planes interior, from the cabin architecture and lighting fixtures to the modernist meal tray, glassware, and flatware. He wrote in Industrial Design that several hundred sets of flatware were taken as souvenirs during the first months of Concordes operation. The first design for Concorde flatware had brown plastic handles; later the set was produced with gray plastic handles and then completely in stainless steel by the 1980s. The majority of each implement is plastic, likely to reduce the overall weight of the silverware. Concorde was designed to carry less weight per passenger than typical airplanes operating at the same time. The design of this set of flatware exemplifies Loewys streamlined aesthetic which in this case serves the purpose of making the flatware attractive, comfortable, and usable while being light enough to fly on Concorde.

Matches Lot #8.