Toy, Airplane, Lindbergh, King Collection

A gray metal toy airplane with red text on the top of the wing "Spirit of St. Louis" The propeller is fixed and can not be turned, the two dark green wheels, connected by a metal bar can be turned. The body of the toy is made of two pieces of metal that are attached by a metal pin that runs through the metal just behind the cockpit door.

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.