Model, Airplane, Lindbergh, King Collection

A silver toy airplane replica of the Spirit of St. Louis. The top of the wing has three L-shaped pieces of metal attached above the fuselage and a probe attached to the leading edge of the wing and the left side of the fuselage. A small plastic window just behind the three L-shaped pieces is divided into six sections by brown paint. Further back on the top of the fuselage behind the window is a free spinning anemometer. The propeller and tires are free spinning as well.

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.