The Angela J. (Hughes) Gardner Trans World Airlines Flight Attendant Collection is comprised of textual, visual, and audiovisual materials that relate to Gardner's time as a flight attendant for Trans World Airlines (TWA) from 1962-1987. The bulk of the collection was gathered by Gardner during her employment. Materials have been divided into four series and are arranged chronologically within each series, unless otherwise noted.

The first series, Flight attendant career, contains textual and visual materials pertinent to Gardner's service with TWA. Textual materials include training materials, benefits and insurance booklets, pay information, flight record charts, and policies and procedures, including a uniform checklist and guides on cabin announcements. Also included is assorted ephemera, such as clippings about TWA, several flight attendant themed blank holiday cards and a January 1970 edition of the UK magazine,Teen “super airline career issue." A form letter to current and former employees of TWA regarding its bankruptcy is also present.

The visual materials in this series consists of four photographs, including two digital reproduction of photographic prints and a single photocopied page of five additional images (originals are not in collection). One of the digital prints is a black-and-white group portrait of TWA flight attendants; the other is a hand-colored portrait of Angela Gardner in her TWA uniform. The five remaining color photocopied images feature Gardner and fellow airline personnel, as well as obscured views of a TWA aircraft. None of the images include identifying information, such as dates, names, or locations. Duplication occurs.

Strikes and lawsuits holds information on and from the Independent Federation of Flight Attendants (IFFA) regarding a strike against TWA, a weight discrimination lawsuit filed by female flight attendants against TWA, and an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission weight discrimination lawsuit against TWA. Materials include IFFA booklets, legal forms and documents, correspondence, newsletters, four audiocassettes, and clippings relevant to the strikes and lawsuits. It's unclear if Gardner was a participant in the lawsuits and strikes or followed the events out of interest.

The third series, Crashes, is quite small and is organized alphabetically. It is primarily comprised of newspaper clippings that Gardner collected, some of which include graphic images. One clipping pertains to a 1965 British European Airlines Flight 5427 crash. There are also several clippings related to the 1964 TWA Flight 800 crash in Rome, Italy where 43 people died, and the mass fatality 1996 TWA Flight 800 in the Atlantic Ocean. Also related to the 1996 TWA Flight 800 crash is a memorial issue of Flight Attendant Advocate and a letter regarding the crash investigation and alleged cover-up.

Lastly, in the General series is a single item unrelated to Gardner's flight attendant career: a handwritten receipt dated June 17, 1943, for a cigarette case and matchbox holder made by an unidentified prisoner-of-war and purchased by Gardner's father, William F. Hughes. It is stamped, though the stamp is faint and very difficult to read. The handwritten portion reads as follows: "Received from F/O Hughes the sum of seventeen dollars and [illegible] in payment of one cigarette case, one matchbox case made by a Prisoner of War. The proceeds of this sale have been placed to the credit of the P.O.W. concerned, less 10% for the Camp Welfare Fund. [signature illegible]-Commander." Gardner received the receipt from her father, Flight Lieutenant William F. Hughes, who was stationed in Nigeria with the RAF during World War II. The case and holder are in Objects storage at The Museum of Flight.