Bookends, Lindbergh, King Collection

One metal bookend (of a pair), circular piece set on a rectangular base features an eagle at the top with wings spread. The center of the circle has a relief of Lindbergh's head and neck set back into a recess in the bookend. Lindbergh has his hair parted and is wearing a jacket with a tie. Below his image on the rectangular base "Charles A. Lindbergh" is set into the metal in script. The front of the base has "Spirit of USA 1927" engraved. The side of the base features an engraved named "F. Muschler". The back of the bookend is flat and features a vertical stripe pattern in the metal. A rectangle in the centre of the circular section has text engraved that reads "Nonstop Flight New York to Paris 3626 Miles May 20 33 1/2 hours May 21" In the lower right corner of the base "Armorbronze" is engraved. The bottom of the bookend is covered in a dark green piece of felt.

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.