The “Maintaining a Fine Tradition – The Flying Dutchman” poster from KLM, around 1950, printed on a recycled-cotton canvas tote bag.
- Front: the full “Maintaining a Fine Tradition” poster art for KLM
- Bag: 10-ounce canvas, 80% recycled cotton / 20% cotton
- Size: 15.75" h x 15.25" w (approx. 240 cubic inches)
- Self-fabric handles
- Printed to order in Grapevine, Texas
“Maintaining a Fine Tradition” reads this KLM Royal Dutch Air Lines poster from around 1950, which sets a tall sailing ship alongside a modern airliner. The pairing links the airline to the Netherlands' long seafaring heritage and to “The Flying Dutchman,” the legend of a ship forever under sail that KLM adopted as its nickname. In the years after the war KLM rebuilt quickly and expanded its intercontinental network, and posters like this presented the airline as the natural successor to centuries of Dutch voyaging.
The bag is made from 10-ounce canvas of 80% recycled cotton and 20% cotton. The recycled fibers are collected from garment-cutting waste and then intertwined with cotton for added strength and durability. Self-fabric handles. Dimensions: 15.75" h x 15.25" w; approx. 240 cubic inches.
Note: Bags not intended for use by children 12 and under.