Wristwatch, Hour Angle, Lindbergh, King Collection

FUNCTIONAL

A wristwatch with a brown leather strap that has the text "US AIR FORCE" on it along with a small airplane just above the watch face. The watch face is white with Roman Numerals from I to XII in a circle around its surface. Below each of these numerals are the multiples of 15. A black hour, minute and second hand tell the time. A smaller circle is located inside of the Roman numerals. This smaller circle has multiples of 10 on its surface with 9 dashes between the numbers. The glass is raised above the watch face and the metal frame. A rotating ring around the glass has large green numbers from 1 to 15. Two crowns are located at 2 and 3 o'clock on the right side of the watch.

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.