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Work

The First Official Maternity Uniform for Pregnant Pilots

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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.

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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
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  • WomensHistory@si.edu

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