ATLANTA AIRPORT IN 1949
Classic images from the LIFE archives taken by photographer Ralph Morse
The following images are from the LIFE photo archives and show typical "day in the life" scenes from Atlanta Municipal Airport taken by Ralph Morse in June 1949. They were presumably taken for an article about Eddie Rickenbacker that appeared in the October 3, 1949 issue of LIFE, although none of them made the final cut.
These are among the best aviation photos I have ever seen. You can almost hear the engines, smell the inflight meals, and feel the tedium of waiting for that next flight. Great stuff! The photos are spread across 3 pages so be sure to follow the link at the bottom of each page.
The aerial photo below is a great view of Atlanta's "Temporary" Terminal taken in 1949 to give you an idea of the layout. This terminal served Atlanta from 1948 until 1961 and was approximately where the Delta City North hangar (the old Eastern Air Lines hangar built in the 1960s) now stands, on the NW corner of the airport. The main ticketing lobby was designed to be converted into a quonset hut hangar and the "concourses" were little more than hallways built out of cinder blocks and leftover lumber from abandoned Army barracks. The airport's observation deck can be seen to the right of the main building.
This view faces northeast towards Hapeville and the road running diagonally across the top left is Virginia Avenue. The two large hangars at the top right of the photo are still standing and are part of the Delta Museum. In the foreground is the west wing which is where the Delta and Capital Airlines gates were located. On the far side of the terminal is the east wing which housed Eastern's gates. To see where the 1948 terminal was located in relation to the current one CLICK HERE.
These are among the best aviation photos I have ever seen. You can almost hear the engines, smell the inflight meals, and feel the tedium of waiting for that next flight. Great stuff! The photos are spread across 3 pages so be sure to follow the link at the bottom of each page.
The aerial photo below is a great view of Atlanta's "Temporary" Terminal taken in 1949 to give you an idea of the layout. This terminal served Atlanta from 1948 until 1961 and was approximately where the Delta City North hangar (the old Eastern Air Lines hangar built in the 1960s) now stands, on the NW corner of the airport. The main ticketing lobby was designed to be converted into a quonset hut hangar and the "concourses" were little more than hallways built out of cinder blocks and leftover lumber from abandoned Army barracks. The airport's observation deck can be seen to the right of the main building.
This view faces northeast towards Hapeville and the road running diagonally across the top left is Virginia Avenue. The two large hangars at the top right of the photo are still standing and are part of the Delta Museum. In the foreground is the west wing which is where the Delta and Capital Airlines gates were located. On the far side of the terminal is the east wing which housed Eastern's gates. To see where the 1948 terminal was located in relation to the current one CLICK HERE.
This aerial shot (facing north) of Atlanta's "Temporary" terminal shows nearly a dozen Eastern aircraft: 2 Douglas DC-4s, 3 Lockheed Constellations and 6 DC-3s. It's possible that the only structure in this photo that is still standing is the round tank at the top center.
Three Delta DC-6s and a Capital Airlines DC-4 are pictured in the foreground at the west wing gates.
This view, facing west toward College Park, shows the entire terminal. Delta and Capital aircraft are seen at the top and nearly a dozen Eastern aircraft can be seen parked at the east wing in the foreground.
The spacious main ticketing lobby of Atlanta Airport in 1949 with the ticket counters on the left and gift shop and Dobb's House restaurant to the right. The ticket counter was the longest in the world when it opened a year earlier. Large photos of downtown Atlanta, Stone Mountain, Bobby Jones Golf Course, the Georgia mountains, and the Okefenokee Swamp adorned the wall.
Eastern Air Lines ticket counter.
A view from behind the Eastern Air Lines ticket counter with the doors to the east gate concourse in the distance.
Before the days of computers: Eastern Air Lines arrivals and departures handwritten in chalk.
A wider view of the Eastern ticket counter.
