Toy, Glider Kit, Lindbergh, King Collection

A wooden glider kit unassembled in a paper envelope. The glider is made up of three pieces; the wing, fuselage horizontal stabilizer. The top of the wing has red lettering "Spirit of Saint Louis" The tail of the glider is attached to the fuselage and is painted red, while the fuselage is green. The wing and horizontal surface are not painted. The envelope is made of a thin brown paper that has red lettering on both sides.

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.