Toy, Airplane, Lindbergh, King Collection

A brown wooden airplane with a high wing. The body of the plane is a light brown color while the wing, tail and propeller are a darker reddish brown. Two wheels attached by wooden beams are positioned on pegs and can rotate freely. The propeller on the nose of the model can also spin on axis. A small wooden peg is attached beneath the tail as a skid.

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.