Toy, Glider, Lindbergh, King Collection

A two-piece paper airplane. The wing is one piece with one red, white and blue circle at each end. Inside these circles is an image of the paper glider. The other piece is the fuselage with two slots for the wing to slip in and fold down rear horizontal stabilizers. The front of the glider has a metal clasp just behind the nose that holds the fuselage together at the fold. The envelope for the glider is brown paper with black text and images. The text and images show how to assemble the glider and how to throw it in various fashions to create different flight paths.

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.