Toy, Airplane, Wind-Up, Lindbergh, King Collection

A gray plastic wind up toy of the Spirit of St. Louis. The white plastic knob on the top of the wing when turned winds a spring inside the toy that then spins the white plastic propeller and two black plastic wheels that propels the toy forward. The rear wheel is free spinning.

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.