Click Image For Full 1636 x 781 px Size
In 1952, the 67.5 ton Boeing Stratocruiser cost a (then) whopping $1.5 million. With a 3,000 mile range, this craft–first delivered to PanAm–offered up luxury as few commercial passengers had seen before: a galley, a lower-deck lounge, sleeping berths, a forward stateroom, and more.
Truly a case of “swords to ploughshares,” the Stratocruiser was “developed from the C-97 Stratofreighter, a military derivative of the B-29 Superfortress used for troop transport,” according to Wikipedia.
Or as a promo film from that time says, “from bomber to boudoir,” referring to the powder room accommodations for women.
Source: LIFE, August 16, 1948
