The First Official Maternity Uniform for Pregnant Pilots
The First Official Maternity Uniform for Pregnant Pilots
Navigating change
Wearing this dark blue wool maternity uniform with her rank insignia on both shoulders, Captain Cynthia Berkeley flew Boeing 737s for United Airlines during her pregnancy in the early 1990s. It was the first company-issued pilot’s maternity uniform. In the past, pregnant pilots had sewn their own. By the early 1990s, both the aviation industry and the traveling public had accepted that all qualified people, regardless of race or gender, could pilot an airliner.
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
Blouse, Maternity, Captain, United Airlines
- Physical Description
- Blue wool blouse; sleeveless; 6 hidden buttons down front; blue and gold 4 stripe captain insignia shoulderboards
- Summary
- Maternity Uniform
- United Airlines, 1990s
- In the early 1990s, United became the first airline to issue an official maternity uniform for its female pilots. By then the industry and the traveling public had accepted that all qualified people, regardless of race or gender, could pilot an airliner. Capt. Cynthia Berkeley wore this uniform.
- Gift of Capt. Cynthia Berkeley and United Airlines
- Credit Line
- Donated by Cynthia Berkeley
- ca. 1989
- Inventory Number
- A19960512000
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Type
- PERSONAL EQUIPMENT-Uniforms: Civil
- Materials
- Uncharacterized Fabrics (Possible Wool)
- Plastic
- Copper Alloy
- Gold Alloy Plating
- Enamel
- Uncharacterized Thread
- Dimensions
- Clothing (On Mannequin): 79 × 42 × 26cm (2 ft. 7 1/8 in. × 1 ft. 4 9/16 in. × 10 1/4 in.)
- 3-D (Blouse, Stored with Light Padding): 79.7 × 62.9 × 6cm (2 ft. 7 3/8 in. × 2 ft. 3/4 in. × 2 3/8 in.)
- 3-D (Badge): 8.7 × 1 × 2.3cm (3 7/16 × 3/8 × 7/8 in.)
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- National Air and Space Museum
- Record ID
- nasm_A19960512000
- Usage of Metadata (Object Detail Text)
- Not determined
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv922f8404c-0ea3-4a44-bec6-6f329ed82d02