Object Details
Manufacturer
GM Corp, Chevrolet Division
Physical Description
Silver metal automotive hood ornament, the artistic composition is that of a toga clad female figure (torso)entwined with leaves (olive) she is holding aloft in her left hand a model of the Spirit of St. Louis, the figures hair is flowing back along the fuselage, a vertical oriented circular medallion with the General Motors, Chevrolet corporate emblem above all below this it reads "Quota Trophy October 1927" it is mounted on plexiglas stand, which may not be original as the hood ornament seems to have been constructed to fit on the top of a car rather than this stand.
Summary
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.
Credit Line
Gift of the Stanley King Family
Inventory Number
A20040290032
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
MEMORABILIA-Popular Culture
Materials
Metal, non ferrous in nature, and plexiglas
Dimensions
3-D: 25.4 x 15.2 x 20.3cm (10 x 6 x 8 in.)
See more items in
National Air and Space Museum Collection
Location
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA
Hangar
Boeing Aviation Hangar
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nasm_A20040290032