Pin, Lindbergh, King Collection

A metal pin with a representation of the Atlantic Ocean, New York (red) and Paris (green). A white airplane is over the ocean heading from NY to Paris. Words that ring the outside of the pin give the direction of the flight, time and date.

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.