1960 BAYLE, L.-M. - A whimsical travel poster for "Transport Aeriens Intercontinentaux" (TAI), published in Paris in 1960

A whimsical travel poster for "Transport Aeriens Intercontinentaux" (TAI), published in Paris in 1960, by Luc-Marie Bayle (1914-2000). The poster depicts a twin-hemisphere map "done in the style of the most authentic ancient maps" showing the airline's intercontinental routes.
The hemispheres are surrounded by fun images of various explorers in divers modes of transport a hot air balloon, early and later forms of aero planes, rowing boats, sailing ships, galleons, whales and fish. A large, decorative compass rose sits at the base of the two hemispheres, with the TAI company logo offset between the twin hemispheres at the top.
It is unlikely the print run for this poster exceeded 500 copies.

Luc Marie Bayle (1914 - 2000) was a French Naval Officer, painter and artist.
Bayle began his military career in 1932, entering the École Navale. He sailed on various ships and conducted campaigns to China and Africa. After further marine school training in Lorient, Bayle completed two missions to Adélie Land on the Commandant Charcot, one in 1948 and the other in 1949, during which he served as on-board photographer, historian, and official painter. He commanded the French Navy in Polynesia from 1956 to 1958. In 1975, he was elected to the Académie de Marine.

In 1954, Bayle built a large model aircraft carrier on the Seine to demonstrate the complexity of the equipment and electronics involved. He was the director of the Musée national de la Marine, in Paris, from 1972 to 1980, and created the concept of a "port-museum", especially in Port-Louis, near Lorient. He was particularly interested in historic ships such as the Duchesse Élisabeth, a three-masted, war-damaged ship brought back to Brest in 1946 and renamed the Duchesse Anne.
After serving in the Navy, the ship sank into neglect. After an initial restoration project funded by the Port-Louis museum, Bayle launched a new call in February 1979 to rescue the Duchesse Anne, deeming her condition critical. Dunkirk ultimately restored the ship in 1980/81, where it remains on display. Bayle founded the French maritime heritage preservation association "AMERAMI" in 1975.

Bayle drew and painted, mostly in watercolors, beginning with his first expedition to China. This collection also includes Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, and Mangareva, as well as the less frequented ÃŽle Saint-Paul, Macquarie Island, the Kerguelen Islands, and the Balleny Islands. His works are complemented by rag-sewn tapestries, posters, and advertisements. He also illustrated many books.

Bayle was appointed 'Peintre de la Marine' in 1944. After the war, he received an order to create a tapestry for the officers of the Rue Royale. Because he lacked funds, the Naval police provided him with a bundle of material and a team of seamstresses to do the work.
In the 1948 mission to Adélie Land, Commander Max Jacques Henri Douguet accepted Bayle on board, requiring that he learn how to use a movie camera. During the three months of travel, Bayle not only learned to film, but also composed a tapestry commemorating Jules Dumont d'Urville's arrival in the territory in 1840. In addition to writing a diary covering the first two Adélie Land expeditions, Bayle wrote Le Voyage de la Nouvelle Incomprise recounting the same events. (raremaps.com)

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