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 The Raymond Loewy flatware from an Air France Concorde. Credit: © the collection of Lawrence Azerrad

"At that altitude, you can see the curvature of the Earth," said Azerrad. "You're at the edge of the troposphere, the sky is black. Weather patterns are very visible. And the perception of the world below you is much more palpable than on a regular airplane."

Concorde wasn't the only supersonic passenger jet to ever fly. The Soviet-built Tupolev Tu-144 -- which looked remarkably similar but "lacked the elegance and grace of Concorde," according to Azerrad -- had a brief commercial stint in the late 1970s.

Boeing also had plans for its own supersonic plane, which were scrapped before the prototype stage.

Now, several projects are underway to bring back supersonic travel, some of which promise to materialize as early as the mid-2020s. But before even taking to the skies, they will face inevitable comparisons with the beautiful swan that started it all.

"Supersonic: The Design and Lifestyle of Concorde," published by Prestel, is available now.

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