Parts of Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of Louis plane, the first to fly the Atlantic, are being sold by a British collectibles company.
The 1927 flight, the first non-stop, solo, transatlantic aeroplane crossing, earned Lindbergh the $25,000 Orteig Prize, offered by New York hotelier Raymond Orteig from 1919.
It also made Lindbergh one of the biggest celebrities of his age, triggering public hysteria and a measurable boom in the aviation industry. People still dance the Lindy Hop named in his honour, and he single-handedly showed that long-distance passenger air travel could be possible.
The 33-hour flight of 3,600 miles from New York to Paris was made in The Spirit of St Louis, a single-engine monoplane named in honour of Lindbergh’s (and his investors’) home town in Missouri.
Now, you can own parts of that plane that are being sold by Paul Fraser Collectibles, who say they are the only parts from the plane ever offered for sale.
The collection is beautifully presented and in great condition for 100 year old engine parts. Image courtesy of Paul Fraser Collectibles.
They are: a rocker arm and two spark plugs from the engine, and shock absorbing bungee chords.
These parts come for sale via Kenneth Lane, who worked at Wright Aeronautical Company on the Spirit.
When the plane came home Lane kept these pieces (and several others) as souvenirs when he worked on the plane.
Other items from Lane’s personal collection are in collections like the Charles A. Lindbergh Historic Site in Minnesota, and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
Alongside the parts is some of the fabric that made up the body of the plane, and on which Lindbergh flew to glory.
It’s a 2″ by 3″ piece signed by Lindbergh, with the signature dated to September 6, 1927, while the new hero was touring the US.
Paul Fraser, chairman of Paul Fraser Collectibles, said: “While small pieces of the Spirit of St Louis have appeared at auction, it is rare to find examples of this size. Items signed by Charles Lindbergh are even rarer, and are extremely sought after by aviation collectors, making this the undoubted highlight of any collection.”
Lindbergh’s signature is desirable in its own right, on fabric from the Spirit it ascends to a new level.
The fabric can also be traced very directly back to the historic 1927 flight.
It was collected by a relative of Anne Spencer Morrow, who married Lindbergh in 1929.
Lindbergh had an extraordinary public profile. He was the first Time Man of the Year in 1928 and was given numerous national awards.
When his son was kidnapped and murdered, in 1932, the press coverage got so out of hand that Lindbergh and his family essentially fled the US.
He had opposed American involvement in World War II but then volunteered after the attack on Pearl Harbour, going so far as to fly combat missions as a civilian when he wasn’t allowed a commission.
He went on to write, lead conservation efforts, and invent before his death in 1974.
Naturally, he’s a highly collectible figure.
Just last month a simple, signed letter made over $4,000 at auction.
And aviation pioneers are enjoying a renaissance among collectors as a new generation looks to space exploration.
In May this year, a tiny fragment of the Wright Brothers plane that astronaut Neil Armstrong had taken to the moon was sold for $175,000.
