‘alumination’ film explores the legacy of the iconic ‘airstream’ travel trailer

the legendary ‘airstream’ travel trailer becomes the focus of a new film that explores the history and 90-year legacy of the american icon. titled ‘alumination’, the feature-length, independently-produced documentary tells the story of aerodynamic ‘silver bullets’, as well as of the people that use them. as the coronavirus pandemic has proved that camping is an ideal solution to escape the confines of domestic interiors, the captivating film is sure to stir ‘the age-old desire to pack up and discover what lies beyond the next range of hills.’all images courtesy of airstream, inc. unless stated otherwise

image by ardean r. miller III, via alumination

video via kaleidoscope mediaworks

‘alumination’ explores the history and ongoing appeal of the iconic, aluminum-clad travel trailers. in 1929, entrepreneur, traveler, and dreamer wally byam built the first ‘airstream’ in the backyard of his california home. two years later, in 1931, byam founded the company and began building trailers for his friends and neighbors, which he called ‘airstreams,’ after the way they moved ‘like a stream of air’ down the road. since then, the company’s 90-year legacy has been shaped by a series of legendary moments and milestones, while its different models, such as ‘bambi’, ‘caravel’, and ‘flying cloud’, have evolved over the years to serve various uses.image via the national trust for historic preservation

besides offering an ideal solution for weekend camping trips or long summer vacations, ‘airstream’ has been used in several key moments in history. in may 1955, an airstream travel trailer was delivered to the nevada desert, along with several other brands of travel trailers, to participate in an atomic bomb test as part of a federal civil defense administration study. in the late 1960s, it served as a mobile quarantine facility for astronauts amid fears that they might bring back an unknown pathogen from the surface of the moon. later on, in the 1980s, ‘the trailer would once again find its place in space when a modified airstream excella motorhome, nicknamed the ‘astrovan’, was selected to transport shuttle era astronauts out to the launch pad.

in 1947, wally byam invited the famous french cyclist alfred letourneur to tow the travel trailer with a bike to demonstrate its lightweight nature

the picture, captured by wally himself, became the famous airstream logo

nearly a century later, ‘airstream’ continues as the oldest travel trailer company in the united states. to find out more about the company and the people that use them, filmmaker eric bricker and producer lisa hughes have journeyed across the US, documenting the captivating world of the iconic american brand. narrated by the B-52s singer kate pierson, ‘alumination’ packs original and archival footage, as well as interviews with the airstream community, into a fascinating feature length documentary that celebrates life on the road.image via alumination

an ‘airstream bambi’ is part of the permanent collection of new york’s museum of modern art (MoMA)

image courtesy of airstream archives

documentary poster courtesy of alumination

film info:

name: alumination

director / producer: eric bricker

producer: lisa hughes

co-producer: allison light