Toy, Airplane, Lindbergh, King Collection

The body wing and tail of this wind up toy is made from one piece of metal that has an image of the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower at opposite sides of the wing. An airplane is pictured flying along a dotted line from the Statue to the Tower. The body of the toy is orange with black lettering that reads "Spirit of America" The tail is outlined in the same orange but yellow over the larger area with green lettering "PNX 211" The front of the toy is a piece of metal with the Statue and the Tower pictured on opposite sides of the red propeller. The underside of the plane has two red wheels that rotate when the metal key is wound and the spring is tightened. A series of gears attached to the bar connecting the wheels and the spring turn the wheels.

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.