Ornament, Airplane Model, Lindbergh, King Collection

A gray wooden model with a red propeller and black tires on a cardboard stand inside a plastic box. The model has "Spirit of St. Louis" in black lettering on both sides of the nose. A golden string is attached to the top of the wing in the center to allow the ornament to be hung from a tree branch. The cardboard stand is white with a red and green border along the outside edge. A small white circular face with eyes, a red nose, a smile, vertical lines and a red cap set against a green background is located on the stand on two sides of the box. "Santas World" in white lettering is below the face and black lettering next to the image.

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.