Pocket Watch, Watch Fob, Lindbergh, King Collection

FUNCTIONAL

A pocket watch with attached fob. The strap connecting the fob to the watch is worn and has snapped just above the crown of the watch. The watch is silver colored with a pale yellow face. The face features an image of Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis flying in the clouds. Only a second and minute hand are on the face. Black numbers from 1 to 12 display the hours. The fob is in the shape an eagle behind a shield. The shield features the Spirit of St. Louis and the Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty below the plane.

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.