Hoardings - Artwork - Air-India Collector

Air-India Hoardings - Artwork

Air-India used outdoor advertising very creatively, and had two prominent and permanent sites in Mumbai where new hoardings would be put up regularly. The older site was at Kemps Corner junction, and then another came up outside the Air-India building at Nariman Point. These were most often tongue-in-cheek, often irreverent, but always in good humor. We would all watch out for these and wait for the next one to be put up. I have managed to get original artworks for 46 of these, dating to the early 1960s, which I will display below with artwork dimensions in mm.

Help wanted

There is a lot more work I need to do on this page, and need your help for it. I need to date the hoardings, and also provide a context so that visitors can get the story behind each of the designs. I will appreciate any help I can get. Please write to me using the CONTACT page, and simple mention the reference number I have given to each, or reproduce the slogan; help me with the date, or explain what the slogan is referring to, and why.

#1. Bowl a Maiden Over

#2. Since Both Can't Come First

#3. Sorry old man - no sleigh riding

#4. Richer for the Bounty of Your Presence

#5. I've been Looping the Loop for Years!

#6. Not with My Privy Pursers. You don't!

#7. The Drape of Things to Come

#8. Dear Oh Dior

#9. Hi Atus

#10. Of Course, Kissing is an Import from the West.

#11. Sorry Old Boy

#12. Beat It to London 10 Times A Week

#13. Vinci Winces

#14. The Unsold Story

#15. I Dreamed, I was a Passenger With My 'P' Form

#16. Just You Wait 'Ormusji' Iggins

#17. You Too Can Sumo at Tokyo

#18. Toplessly Yours

#19. My Fare-Lady

#20. Drive Safely, Sanely and Like a Gentleman - Die of Old Age

#21. IATA be Glad You're Here

#22. Mad Bad London

#23. Honour the Tourist

#24. Jai Philip

#25. If the Vigil of My People be 1095 Days My Days are Numbered

#26. Dr. Babel. I Presume

#27. The Airline That Treats You Like a Minister

#28. My Muse is Confused

#29. I've Just Put up a Black

#30. How? How Else

#31. India - Thy Face could Laugh a Million Tourists - What Ails Thee?

#32. Weeping Willow

#33. City Fathers

#34. I've Grown Accustomed to his face

#35. Wouldn't It be Loverly If There was no P-Form

#36. McMahon or ManMohan

#37. I'm an Ordinary Man

#38. Brussels Sprouts on My Way to London from April 5

#39. Dear Santa

#40. Nuts to the Common Market

#41. Darwin had no Theory

#42. Born Free

#43. Father, Forgive Dick; for He Know not What He Doeth
Articles on this hoarding: Click here

Image Courtesy: Paul Mason.
Paul Mason is the biographer of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and is about to publish a book on him. He has also travelled to the Maharishi’s ashram in Rishikesh, and compiled an illustrated book on The Beatles' stay in Rishikesh, a place he first visited when he hitched to India in 1970. No luxury of Air India for him in those days!

#44. Transcendental

#45. Book Before You Leap This Year

#46. Confucius Say

#47. We Think We Like You

#48. I'm a Plane Symbolton

#49. Not With My Privy Pursers You Don't!

#51. What Care I Where Based He be If He Doth not Slip With Me!

#52. Our Tears of Joy-a Memory!

#53. If Your Problem is MISA, I'll Handle Your VISA!

#54. India - World Champions! Hu-TU-TU 1974

#55. The Children's Aid Society

#56. Pokaran Oh Pokaran

#57. New York Non-Stop!

#58. By George! No One Can Stop This Train

#59. Wrong Number!

#60. "I Cried Because I Had no Shoes Till I Saw a Child Who Had no Feet"

#61. When You Dine at the Taj Park Your Car at the Centaur No Charge!

#62. To My Countrymen

#63. Australia's Population 15 Million

#64. Collect Your Longings

#65. Pulp, Reduce My Forests to Pulp

#66. Destined to Die!

#67. Fly your Flag

#68. My Maiden to Singapore

#69. I Minister to Three Capitals at the same time

#70. My Asian Games are still on

#71. I have the World's Best Arrangement to Japan

#72. I'll Rush Ya. I'll Russia. On the Airbus A310.

#73. India - World Champions ! HU - TU - TU 1974

#74. Weeping Willow !

#75. Why Should We Bother About Gold Medals at Munich When Ours are all from Dubai !

#76. Naik Sahib, Drink to me only - not with thine eyes and I will pledge with WINE !

#77. Our New Connection to Sharjah

#78. This month look for We call it.

#79. I'm warming up for the main event !

#80. Now, Air-India Adds Sana'a to Its Gulf Network.

#81. My Bangla Dash

#82.

#83. This Month Look for First Class Quality. We call it Maharajah Class.

#84. I am Turning Over a New Leaf

#85. Earn More Bread by Flying your Meat !

#86. Mauritius - Your Flight of Fancy

#87. Don't Miss Mauritius in 1973

#88. Visit an Old Flame

#89. Bird of Peace

#90. Look. India's Two National Birds.

#91.

We also have some really tiny bromide in different sizes (100x35mm, 100x30mm & 80x25mm) in very bad condition. However for the sake of completeness the images are reproduced below.