Toy, Airplane, Lindbergh, King Collection

A wooden model airplane with a high yellow wing mounted on a black fuselage. The nose cone is painted red with no propeller. The horizontal tail surfaces are yellow as well while the vertical tail surface is black. A small wooden piece is attached below the tail as a skid. The two wheels attached to the plane by wooden beams do not turn.

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.