Game, Coin Opperated, Lindbergh, King Collection

A large metal coin operated game that is attached to a hollow metal box with a small hole in the bottom. The game has a glass window with a small airplane visible in the center. On either side of the airplane are two vertical columns of images. The right column has images of the Statue of Liberty, two airplanes, and four flags. The left column has eleven yellow boxes with images of people and black lettering below them. They include Millionaire, Cowboy, Lindy and Fighter. A small lever on the right side of the machine, when depressed, sends the airplane on a vertical path from the bottom of the machine to the top. The amount of force used to strike the lever determines how far the airplane will travel. The machine hinges on the bottom and opens to reveal a gearwheel attached to a large lever that protrudes from the left side of the machine. There is a circular hole on the right side of the machine with a metal U-shaped piece covering the hole.

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.