Magnet, Airplane Model, Lindbergh, King Collection

A silver colored wooden carving of the Spirit of St. Louis. The wood is shaped like the profile of a high wing monoplane with the details of the plane painted in black. The tail has "NX211 RYAN NYP" in black and the nose "Spirit of St. Louis." The wheel of the plane is painted on in black. A small magnet is attached to the back of the piece.

On May 20-21, 1927, Charles Lindbergh literally flew into history when he crossed the Atlantic Ocean in his Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis, thus becoming the first pilot to fly solo and nonstop from New York to Paris. This flight made Lindbergh a household name and catapulted him into fame and celebrity. The objects of popular culture in the National Collection display everything from ashtrays to wristwatches reflect the public adulation for Lindbergh and the powerful commercial response to his celebrity. More than 75 years after the Spirit's historic flight, Lindbergh's name still has the power help sell manufactured goods.