West African Airways Corporation (W.A.A.C.) Why Paddle Your Own Canoe, late 1940s

A striking original vintage airline advertising poster created for the West African Airways Corporation (WAAC).  WAAC operated between 1946 and 1958 by the British colonial administration to connect Nigeria, Gold Coast (Ghana), Sierra Leone and The Gambia. 

The poster features a vibrant and beautifully stylized mid-century illustration of smiling local men paddling a red canoe down a river, flanked by lush green palm trees.  The blue and yellow sky reflections on the water surface to create a stark though playful contrast with the bold advertising text asking: “Why paddle your own canoe when you can fly by W.A.A.C.”.  The illustration embodies post-WW2 optimism for early commercial regional flight and intersects aviation with African history in the pre-independence era. 

Artist: Unknown

Dimensions: 71 cm x 51 cm

Year of Publication: Late 1940s

Country of Origin: Nigeria

Printer: Storey Evans & Co. Ltd. Rawdon, Leeds, England.

Print type: Lithograph.

Condition: Good, corner pinholes and missing corners, linen-backed.