The Pan Am Museum Foundation (PAMF) hosted a wine and cheese reception celebrating the opening of a temporary exhibit of the iconic Pan Am artwork of former Disney and Saturday Evening Post cartoonist Hank Syverson. The reception took place on July 24 at the Pan Am Museum, located inside the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, NY.
Hank Syverson began his career at Disney Studios in 1939, contributing to the animation of such classic films as Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, and Bambi. He later established himself as one of America’s leading commercial cartoonists, with artwork appearing in the Saturday Evening Post, Reader’s Digest, The New Yorker, Look, and many other national publications.
From the late 1960s through the 1970s, while working with the J. Walter Thompson ad agency, Svyerson created a memorable series of illustrations for Pan Am. His distinctive style transformed airline advertising by celebrating not just the destinations, but the joy, curiosity, and human experience of travel itself.
In the 1970s, Svyerson brought warmth, humor, and imagination to Pan American World Airways advertising. His playful illustrations captured ordinary people discovering the excitement, wonder, and adventure of travel, helping to define Pan Am’s friendly and approachable image during the Jet Age.
The Pan Am Museum was pleased to meet Hank Svyerson’s son, Jeff Svyerson, who brought many of his father’s scrapbooks and memories to the reception.
Attendees also enjoyed new cartoons from over 20 cartoonists from the National Cartoonists Society, which were created and displayed just for the event. Many guests at the event had caricatures created for them as well.
The mission of the Pan Am Museum Foundation is to educate, celebrate, and inspire present and future generations by preserving the historical, institutional, and diverse personal stories and legacy of Pan American World Airways.
Additional photos from the reception can be found on the Metropolitan Airport News Flickr page.