Pens, Lindbergh, King Collection

A cardboard box with an image of the Spirit of St. Louis set against a pink background with "N-X-211" above the plane. The opposite side of the box has an image of five men holding onto the struts of the Spirit of St. Louis while the propeller is spinning. The box contains a wood and metal box with a hinged top. The box has a wooden base with a silver top that has two hinges and a small lip to secure the box. The lid has "Spirit of St. Louis New York-Paris" stamped on it from the inside making the lettering stand out from the top of the lid. Inside the box two trays have been cut out of the wood and each contains a pen. The pens are the same length with wooden grips and metal caps, ends, and clips. The clips have a series of holes in them. One pen has a removable cap that exposes the tip while the other cap rotates to expose the tip at the other end. Below the pens "Spirit of St. Louis is carved into the wood.

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.