Lonsdale, John G., 1929 June 10
Scope and Contents
The Charles A. Lindbergh Papers span the years of 1827 to 1969 with the bulk of the material falling into the 15-year period following his historic transatlantic flight in 1927. The papers from this period document the preparation Lindbergh made for the New York-Paris journey. They also reflect the tremendous response from the heads of nations and states and from people around the world to his epic achievement, and to the significant events in the personal lives of the Lindberghs. The birth of their first child, Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr., in 1930, and his tragic death two years later generated worldwide attention and concern, which is revealed in hundreds of letters in the collection. The last major public response to the Lindberghs to be documented in the papers are letters received following Charles Lindbergh’s radio addresses in 1940 advocating non-intervention of the United States in the impending war in Europe. Additional papers record Lindbergh’s paramount interest during the 1930s in the promotion and development of aviation, his pursuit of a scientific career at the Rockefeller Institute, and the beginnings of the distinguished literary careers of both Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Important correspondence also exists between Lindbergh and the Missouri Historical Society which punctuates the history of the Society’s role in preserving the Lindbergh Papers and the large collection of gifts, medals, and trophies presented to him in recognition of his historic flight. Non-manuscript material (sheet music, stamps, scrapbooks, and printed material) amplifies the fact that the world’s response to this twentieth century hero was virtually unprecedented. Series I, Journals, Logbooks, and Notebooks, includes items that belonged to Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Evangeline Land Lodge Lindbergh (mother of Lindbergh), Edwin A. Lodge (Lindbergh’s maternal great-grandfather), Harriet Clubb Lodge Lindsay (Lindbergh’s maternal great-great-grandmother) and Elisabeth Reeve Morrow (sister of Anne Morrow Lindbergh). Typescripts of Lindbergh’s earliest journals (1912-1916) give accounts of significant events in his youth: a trip to Panama with his mother; a train ride from Detroit to Washington, D.C.; attendance at the closing session of Congress; a camping trip with his father on the Mississippi River; and details of a journey from Florida to Minnesota on his Excelsior motorcycle. Journals from 1931-1933 contain sporadic records of his daily activities, many of them referring to his work at the Rockefeller Institute. Entries stopped five days before the kidnapping of their son on March 1, 1932. They do not begin again until March 1933 when he wrote of two trips he made with Mrs. Lindbergh in conjunction with his position as technical advisor to two major airlines. These were the inspection trip over the air route of Transcontinental and Western Airlines, and the transatlantic survey flight made for Pan American Airways. In 1937 Lindbergh began to make regular entries in his journals of activities and personal observations while living in Europe. The collection contains these original bound journals from 1937-1938 and typescripts of those kept until 1945. Edited versions of these diaries were published in 1970 as The Wartime Journals of Charles A. Lindbergh. Journals of Anne Morrow Lindbergh date from 1919-1945. They provide vivid accounts of her years as college student, wife, mother, pilot, navigator, and distinguished writer. The contents of many of the journals have been published in book form: Bring Me A Unicorn: Diaries and Letters 1922-1928; Hour of Gold, Hour of Lead: Diaries and Letters 1929-1932; Locked Rooms and Open Doors: Diaries and Letters 1933-1935; The Flower and the Nettle 1936-1939; and War Within and Without; Diaries and Letters 1939-1944. Other journals in the collection kept by relatives of Charles and Anne Lindbergh provide additional notes of family history. All of them are typed copies of the originals. The journals of Edwin Albert Lodge (1822-1887) contain phrenological analyses of his character made over a period of years from 1847-1855. His 1838 journal was used by two people: the first part is his own, and the second section has been identified as that of his mother, Harriet Clubb Lodge Lindsay (1795- ). It contains an account of her ocean voyage from England to America and the journey to Buffalo by boat up the Hudson River and over the Erie Canal. Of particular interest are her vivid descriptions of the American people and countryside. The journals of Elisabeth Reeve Morrow were written while she was a student at college and during the first years as a fifth grade teacher. Lindbergh’s characteristic thoroughness in planning and documenting his flights is reflected in the logbooks and notebooks files in this series. The original logbooks date from 1922-1929. They record his flying time on different types of planes while barnstorming in the Midwest. They also record his flights as a cadet student at Kelly Field in Texas. A separate logbook for the “Spirit of St. Louis” records each flight made in the famous plane, beginning with the test flights conducted in April 1927. Typescripts of additional logbooks in the series include chronological logs for all flights made by Lindbergh from 1936-1944. The notebook carried on the historic New York-Paris flight contains lists of equipment necessary for the flight in addition to an outline of plans for the initial trip from San Diego to New York. Other notebooks in the series include Lindbergh’s school records and papers from 1913-1915, and his mother’s chemistry notebook used when she was a graduate student at Columbia University in the summer of 1925. The strength of the Charles A. Lindbergh Papers, the documentation of the events leading up to and including the historic flight from New York to Paris and its resultant impact upon the future of commercial aviation, is found in the Correspondence Series. The large collection of Lindbergh’s public mail and personal correspondence has been arranged in this series according to subject matter. The ten subseries are as follows: Personal Papers Pre-1927, Transatlantic Flight (1927), Correspondence with Tribute Poetry (1927-1935), Charles A Lindbergh, Jr. (1930-1938), Campaign for Non-intervention in World War II (1940), Personal Correspondence (1927-1941), General Correspondence (1928-1940), Subject Files (1927-1953), Typescripts (1843-1942), and Missouri Historical Society (1927-1969). Personal Papers Pre-1927 is the smallest of the subseries. It contains letters from Lindbergh’s parents, a few friends, and business acquaintances. Records from Air Service Flying Schools in Texas, which Lindbergh attended, and memorandums from the Air Reserve Corps and Missouri National Guard complete the subseries. The genesis for Lindbergh’s New York-Paris flight began in the fall of 1926 when Lindbergh was the chief pilot for Robertson Aircraft Corporation at Lambert Field in St. Louis. Transatlantic Flight (1927) papers document the preparation for the flight. The earliest manuscripts have a date of December 1926. The papers are arranged into 15 sections with several of the sections containing fan mail received in 1927. The first section, Personal Correspondence (December 1926-May 21, 1927), contains letters and telegrams from family, friends, and individuals closely involved with Lindbergh during the six months preceding the flight. There are letters and telegrams from Harold Bixby, Harry H. Knight, and William B. Robertson, three of the St. Louis businessmen who formed the Spirit of St. Louis Organization to sponsor Lindbergh as a contestant for the $25,000 Ortieg Prize. Responses of Lindbergh’s inquiries to manufacturers for information about flying suits, boots, the Armbrust Life-Saving Water Making Cup, and Pioneer Instruments are also among the documents. Telegrams between Lindbergh and aircraft companies are present, including the one from Ryan Airlines, Inc. confirming their willingness and ability to manufacture a plane in three months for the transatlantic flight. Letters from Lindbergh’s mother are a significant portion of the Personal Correspondence section. Beginning in January 1927, her weekly letters provided reassurance of her support for the flight to Paris. By March, Mrs. Lindbergh was writing several letters a week to her son, sending him newspaper clippings on aviation and items that told of the progress of others who were planning to make the New York-Paris flight. Letters from Charles to his mother during this period will be found in the Typescript subseries of Correspondence. Other letters included in Personal Correspondence are from friends and fellow pilots, Philip Love, Don Moynahan, Ernest G. Dixon, Joseph Wecker, Roy Alexander of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and Clarence M. Young and William P. McCracken, Jr. of the Department of Commerce. Following the continental flight from San Diego to New York, Lindbergh received several letters and telegrams from friends. These, as well as notes from individuals wishing him well on the transatlantic flight, are filed in this section. Selected Correspondence (May 21-July 1927) contains telegrams and letters received immediately following the New York-Paris flight from family, friends, members of the Spirit of St. Louis Organization, political leaders in Washington, heads of state, including Prime Minister Mussolini of Italy, and aviation manufactures asking Lindbergh for endorsements of their products. Copies of several of these endorsements by Lindbergh are included in the papers. Invitations from countries, cities, organizations and notable individuals are also found in Selected Correspondence. Letters discussing the handling of the Air Mail Welcome Home messages and plans for Welcome Home receptions in the cities of Washington, New York, and St. Louis reflect the enthusiasm in the United States to celebrate Lindbergh’s magnificent achievement. Concurrent with plans for celebrations were preparations for Lindbergh’s future in aeronautics: a memorandum dated June 27, 1927, outlines Lindbergh’s proposed role with the Daniel Guggenheim Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics. Also included is the press release announcing Lindbergh’s airplane tour of the United States under the auspices of the Guggenheim Fund for the primary purpose of stimulating popular interest in the use of air transportation. Flight notes contain Lindbergh’s handwritten notes made early in 1927 outlining various aspects of the proposed flight. Also included is the draft of an essay he wrote promoting St. Louis as an aviation city. Major A.B. Lambert’s handwritten list of suggested procedures for subscriptions for the flight is also of interest. Several weather reports received prior to take-off at Roosevelt Field are included with these Flight Notes. The immediate response to Lindbergh’s epic flight was overwhelming as documented in the subseries Transatlantic Flight (1927). In addition to thousands of gifts and citations presented to Lindbergh, literally tons of mail from the United States and 38 foreign countries were received by him. A sample of these general congratulatory messages received in 1927 have been arranged chronologically into three groups according to their origin; those from St. Louis, the United States and foreign countries. Among the letters of congratulation received in 1927 were thousands of letters with a myriad of requests that were impossible for Lindbergh to acknowledge. These letters have been filed according to the nature of the request, the most frequent ones asking for autographs, photographs, permission to use the Lindbergh name, financial aid, and visits from Lindbergh. Letters offering business opportunities and material goods follow the letters of request and are filed according to the kinds of offers. Also included in this mass of mail generated by his heroic feat are letters regarding gifts sent to Lindbergh, and correspondence between Lindbergh and various universities, institutions, and organizations who wished to bestow honors on the aviation hero. A collection of memorabilia and portrait drawings inspired by Lindbergh’s flight complete the Transatlantic Flight (1927) subseries. Long after the memorable day of May 21, 1927, when the “Spirit of St. Louis” touched down at Le Bourget, letters containing poems of tribute and admiration were received by Lindbergh. Several hundred of these letters are filed in the subseries Correspondence with Tribute Poetry. This outpouring of emotion in verse is one of the curious phenomena of Lindbergh mania that swept the world. It would happen again in June 1930 when their first child was born and in 1932 when the child was kidnapped from the Lindbergh home in Hopewell, New Jersey. The Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr. subseries contains these poems and correspondence, as well as other items. Included is a handwritten account by Anne Morrow Lindbergh describing the events of the weekend at Hopewell and the night of the kidnapping. Following the abduction, mail from the general public increased once again. Offers of assistance and notes of condolence were numerous. Many letters came from individuals offering clues to the child’s whereabouts. There is a separate file for what were considered crank letters. Letters from foreign countries were sent to a local police station for translation and proved to be similar in nature to those from this country: individuals offered suggestions for solving the kidnapping; the offered notes of congratulations on the birth of the Lindbergh’s second child Jon in August 1932; and, despite the tragedy that had befallen the Lindberghs, requested financial assistance and jobs. Letters often included photographs of the family making the request. Other correspondence in the subseries includes letters and memorandums from the Treasury Department regarding the ransom money, letters which expressed opinions on the outcome of the Hauptmann trial, and Lindbergh’s correspondence with New Jersey police and government officials. No court record of the Hauptmann trial is housed in the collection. However, there are two interesting documents connected with the proceedings: a typescript copy of the investigation of Dr. John F. Condon on June 2, 1932, by inspector Harry W. Walsh concerning Condon’s role as the intermediary between the kidnappers, and a copy of the opinion of James Clark Sellers, handwriting expert, regarding the handwriting of Bruno Richard Hauptmann in the extortion letters. The Campaign for Non-intervention in World War II subseries contains letters received in response to Lindbergh’s 1940 radio addresses urging the United States to remain neutral in the mounting European crisis. This material reveals the divergent opinion of the people in regards to the country’s involvement in the war movement. It also demonstrates public disillusionment with Lindbergh and his political philosophy. Copies of his non-intervention speeches will be found in the Literary Productions Series. Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s radio broadcast December 24, 1940, titled “The Wind of Privation or the Sun of Mercy?”, is also filed in that series. Lindbergh’s personal correspondence with a wide circle of individuals was kept in alphabetical files separate from the mass of public mail. These files compose a large segment of the Personal Correspondence subseries. The list of correspondents number in the hundreds: they include friends, aviators, scientific associates, businessmen, writers, educators, historians, journalists, politicians, and statesmen. Most of the individuals wrote fewer than five letters to Lindbergh. Carbon copies of his replies to them are filed immediately behind their original letters. Significant correspondence in this subseries with persons in the field of aviation and aeronautics should be noted: W.H. Bowlus, Thomas B. Eastland, Donald Hall, Harry Guggenheim, Thomas Lamphier, Emory S. Land, Charles A. Lawrence, Grover Loening, Philip Love, William MacCracken, C. Earl Potts, M.K. Riddick, Edward P. Warner, P.V.A. Weems, Joseph W. Wecker, Guy W. Vaughn, and Clarence M. Young. Lindbergh also filed correspondence with these individuals in the aviation and aeronautic subject files when their letters were of a more technical or business nature. The remaining material in Personal Correspondence consists of correspondence regarding the Lindbergh’s financial, business, and housekeeping records, Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s personal correspondence with friends and Smith College Alumni groups, and miscellaneous notes and drafts of correspondence by Charles and Anne Lindbergh. Correspondence of Evangeline L.L. Lindbergh and Dwight and Elizabeth Morrow with individuals other than immediate family members are also included in this section. Several thousand pieces of fan mail received by Lindbergh from 1928 to 1940 have been filed in the General Correspondence subseries. The content of this mail is a continuation of what was expressed in the initial public response to Lindbergh, which is filed in the Transatlantic Flight (1927) section, but with additional types of requests and complaints now appearing. Individuals sought Lindbergh’s advice on a variety of technical and aviational matters. Many claimed to be related to Lindbergh and were looking for verification of their kinship. Some people hoped Lindbergh would be interested in their new inventions and sent him long proposals, often accompanied with drawing and blueprints, seeking his opinion. Many of the letters filed in the complaint folders are from these individuals wanting to know what became of their papers. Others complained they had not received a response to a gift sent, or that photographs, books, and airmail covers sent to be autographed, had not been returned. The quantity of mail received made it impossible for Lindbergh’s staff to respond to each letter, but the files reveal that an effort was made in some instances to provide an answer. Subject Files is a major source of material that reflect interests and achievements of Lindbergh beyond his transatlantic flight and the role of international hero that was forced upon him by the success of the event. Subject headings listed in this section are those used by Lindbergh in his original files: aeronautics, aviation, economics, home, honors, organizations, politics, press, publications, publicity, real estate, scientific research, social services, and solicitations. A significant portion of this subseries are the files of aeronautics and aviation. The promotion and development of aviation was a motivating force for Lindbergh’s New York-Paris flight, and for years afterwards he devoted a major portion of his time to the expanding field. The material in these files help document the growth and development in this country of commercial aviation and the contributions Lindbergh made in its evolution. The aeronautic files contain papers pertaining to his work with several organizations: the Guggenheim Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics, Pan American Airways, and Transcontinental Air Transport (T.A.T). Most of the aeronautical files relate to his years with T.A.T. Lindbergh joined that organization in May 1928 as chairman of the technical committee, and in this role had authority in matters concerning equipment, air fields, air routes and services pertaining to flying. He would later become a member of the Board of Transcontinental and Western Air (TWA), successor to T.A.T., which was sometimes known as the “Lindbergh Line.” Correspondence regarding Lindbergh’s salary and stock options with T.A.T. are filed with these papers. Correspondence, reports, memorandums, mimeographs, and minutes of the TWA Board of Directors and the Executive Committee meetings are important for their documentation of the establishment of the combination air and rail service across the continent in July 1929. They also reveal the coming of the new era in commercial aviation. Greater speed, greater comfort, and more convenient schedules are discussed in correspondence with C.M. Keys, Richard Robbins, Tommy Tomlinison, William Robertson, and Jack Frye, among others. Reports and articles by many of these aviation experts are also part of this collection. Photographs enclosed with reports and letters reveal the progressive change in the design of interiors of airplanes in the 1930s. As technical advisor to TWA, Lindbergh came in contact with a number of people in private industry who were responsible for the development of aircraft and aeronautic equipment. Correspondence with more than 20 manufactures provides technical data on the dynamic changes occurring in the field of aviation. Some of the items discussed are the Schenk artificial horizon, the Mark III compass, a new turn indicator, electrically heated flying garments, and the minute arc dial for the Greenwich Hour Angle watch designed by Lindbergh. Announcements sent to Lindbergh of new aeronautic equipment, such as propellers with pitch control, heat resisting paint, airmarkers and landing lights add to the wealth of information contained in this section. Other areas of interest in the aeronautic files are gliding, TWA airplane crashes with correspondence discussing solutions to avoiding them, the reports of R.H. Goddard, pioneer rocket expert, on his work at Rosewell, New Mexico, and material from the National Advisory Committee of Aeronautics to which Lindbergh was appointed by President Herbert Hoover in 1931. Material in the aviation files pertain to fight made not only by Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, but by other famous aviators and aviation pioneers. The character of the letters pertaining to the Lindbergh flights reveal the meticulous preparations attendant to any of his endeavors. They record the maze of arrangements made with several countries for their flight to the Orient over the Great Circle Route in 1931 and the Transatlantic survey flight for Pan American Airways in 1933. This material is extensive and comprises the bulk of the aviation files. Correspondence files under names of other famous aviators, Richard E. Byrd, Dieudonne Coste, Maurice Bellonte, Costes and LeBrix, Amelia Earhart, and Amy Johnson contain personal letters written by Lindbergh to the aviators congratulation them on the completion of their important flights. There are also invitations inviting him to attend banquets and special events honoring these men and women. In addition to the papers regarding significant flights, there are letters from persons discussing the use of air mail, the design and construction of airports, and ways to further promote aviation. Letters from the general public request advice and Lindbergh’s assistance in a variety of aviation matters; several sought cures to deafness, hoping a plane ride with Lindbergh would restore hearing. The demands made on Lindbergh for years following the New York-Paris flight is again made obvious in this subseries by the number of invitations received to air races, airport dedications and aviation memorials. Much of the material in the other subject files reflect this same type of public appeal made on both Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Files regarding their home in Hopewell, New Jersey, contain correspondence with the architect, Delana and Aldrich, and contractors regarding the home’s construction, but much of the material is mail from the general public seeking employment within the Lindbergh’s household, or solicitations for household furnishings, interior decorations, and landscaping business. Correspondence under organizations in the subject files are generally letters offering the Lindbergh’s honorary memberships, medals, awards, or invitations to attend various functions from a host of charitable, business, military, historical, religious and service organizations. Real estate subject files contain letters from individuals and real estate agents offering to sell the Lindberghs an assortment of real estate. An article in the newspapers in 1933 reporting the Lindberghs were considering leaving the United States to live in Europe brought many overtures from people in foreign countries offering homes to the famous couple. Photographs of the properties under discussion were often enclosed. Other subject files include an array of requests from friends and the general public which were filed according to subject matter: politics, press, social service, and solicitations. They include letters soliciting Lindbergh’s support for political candidates and issues, requests for interviews and statements from the press, pleas for the Lindbergh’s assistance in numerous social service causes, such as the flood relief in China, and unemployment relief in the United States, and letters from persons wanting the Lindbergh’s to buy a wide assortment of items – books, pictures, baby clothes, facial cream – even a letter from Lowell Thomas recommending the Dale Carnegie Course. The scientific research files contain correspondence of a more personal nature. Lindbergh was interested in promoting the use of airplanes in scientific and historical work. In cooperation with Pan American Airways and the Carnegie Institute, Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh agreed in 1929 to fly over archaeological remains in the southwest part of the United States and the Maya region in the Yucatan to photograph the areas. Correspondence with Dr. John C. Merriam, President of the Carnegie Institute, and Dr. A.V. Kidder, leader of the expedition, discusses these trips and the photographic activities. Also in these files, is correspondence between Lindbergh, Merriam, Kidder, Dr. G. Harvey Cameron, and R. H. Goddard discussing possible ways the Carnegie Institute could support Goddard’s rocket investigations. Lindbergh was instrumental in securing funds for Goddard’s research. Lindbergh’s affiliation with the Rockefeller Institute (1930-1935) enabled him to pursue his scientific interests and to work with the French biologist and Nobel prize winner Dr. Alexis Carrel with whom he collaborated on the development of the perfusion pump. Papers in this file do not reveal much about Lindbergh’s work at the Institute but consist chiefly of correspondence from individuals wanting Lindbergh’s advice or help with medical or scientific problems. Copies of scientific articles published by Lindbergh while working at the Institute, however, can be found in the Literary Productions series. Following the New York-Paris flight, newspaper and magazine publishers brought pressure on Lindbergh to write about his stunning achievement. Requests for interviews and the writing of articles on aviation in general were also constant throughout this period. The publications files contain correspondence with many of these publishers and editors from 1928-1940: Frank A. Tichenor (Aero Digest); Edward P. Warner (Aviation); Joe Mitchell Chapple (National Magazine); Gilbert Grosvenor (National Geographic Magazine); Hamilton Fish Armstrong (Foreign Affairs); John N. Wheeler (North American Newspaper Alliance); Earle H. Balch (Putnam’s Sons); Crowell Publishing Company; and publishing houses for Harper’s Bazaar, New Yorker, McCalls, and Vogue. Inquiries from persons seeking information on publications by Lindbergh’s father are also filed in this section. The importance the Morrow and Lindbergh family attached to communicating on a regular basis by letter is evident in the Typescripts subseries. Most of the letters in this section are those written by Charles and Anne to their mothers. They date from 1915-1942. Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s correspondence is more diverse, including letters to her sisters, grandmother, aunts, and friends. Letters from Lindbergh to his mother provide the most extensive series of correspondence between he and another individual within the collections. They reveal his early interest in flying and his eagerness for adventure. His Excelsior motorcycle and the family car figure prominently in vivid accounts of narrow escapes on muddy roads and icy streets. His letters in 1927 are especially important for they provide a narrative of the progress being made on the plans for the transatlantic flight. A 1934 letter explains to his mother why he intended to leave the United States with his family and reside in Europe. Other typescripts in this section are letters of Edwin A. Lodge to his son, Edwin, written in 1868 when the young man left home to look for work. Also included are several letters to Edwin from W. Bethune Lindsay, his cousin, written in 1917 describing the horrors of World War I. The files of the Missouri Historical Society complete the Correspondence Series. Immediately following the transatlantic crossing, nations, and individuals presented medals, trophies, and gifts to Lindbergh in recognition of his daring flight. The Missouri Historical Society asked Lindbergh to exhibit his collection of trophies and decorations at the Jefferson Memorial Building for 10 days beginning June 25, 1927. The response from the public was so great Lindbergh agreed that the collection should remain for an indefinite period. In 1933 Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh made a gift of the entire collection to the Society. Correspondence in this section documents the agreements made between the Society and the Lindberghs, and reveals the interest Lindbergh took in the care and security of the collection. Letters between Lindbergh and the Society’s archivists clarify the provenance of documents and gifts, and provide a chronicle of the Society’s role in preserving the collection. Records of the Spirit of St. Louis Memorial Committee, organized in the fall of 1927 to erect a memorial to commemorate Lindbergh’s accomplishment and to perpetuate his flight, are filed in this subseries. Correspondence and minutes document the events held by the organization at the Society each year on the anniversary of the flight. Proposals and designs for memorials are among the papers as well. Also included is the Membership Roster of the Spirit of St. Louis Memorial Committee and the Visitors Book to the Lindbergh Exhibition (1930-1952). The two series, Financial Documents (1923-1935) and Legal Documents (1925-1933), are small in quantity and contain routine items such as bills, receipts, statement of accounts, including those from the Bankers Trust Company in Paris dated May 31 and June 3, 1927, and dividend statements from J.P. Morgan and Company. Wills prepared by Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh during the years 1925 to 1933 are found in the later series, along with aviation insurance policies from 1928-1929, and an inventory and appraisement of the estate of Lindbergh’s father. Literary Productions contain drafts, typescripts, and printed copies of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindberghs’ published and unpublished writing that compliment the main focus of the collection. The series is divided into subseries according to the forms of writings by the Lindberghs: books, forewords, reports, speeches, poetry, and articles. The contents are arranged chronologically within each grouping. Included in the series are bound volumes of Lindbergh’s original manuscript of We, his first account of the flight written in book form the fall of 1927. The rejected galley of the ghost written version of We is also part of the collection. The Spirit of St. Louis, Lindbergh’s second book recounting the New York-Paris flight, was written over a period of 14 years and published in 1953. Galleys of the book and carbon copies of all drafts which led up to the final manuscript are among the papers. The original manuscript was placed in the Library of Congress by Lindbergh in January 1954. Reports and speeches over a 15-year period (1926-1941) illustrate Lindbergh’s versatility, not only in the field of aviation, but also as a political observer. Reports written as a pilot and technical consultant include drafts and typescripts of accounts of his three emergency parachute jumps between 1925-1926; reports for T.A.T. and Pan American Airways describing the development of the transcontinental air route and the Greenland-Iceland air route; and a report to the Army Air Force Material Center in 1942 summarizing the results of his high altitude tests carried out in a pressure chamber to determine the need for emergency bail-out equipment at 40,000 feet. This report was co-authored with others participating in the test. Lindbergh’s speeches, other than a few on aviation, are statements commenting on the political situation in the United States and Europe. Included are his testimony before the House of Representatives Committee of Foreign Affairs opposing the Lend-Lease Bill; printed copies of the series of radio addresses made in 1939-1941 in his campaign to keep America out of World War II; and a 1954 address calling for a civilization based on human values rather than material success. Articles filed in this series are generally printed copies of those written by Lindbergh that appeared in newspapers and periodicals in 1927-1928 describing the New York-Paris flight and the South American good-will tour. Additional articles pertain to aviation and Lindbergh’s scientific publications. Of special interest are the drafts and sketches for the article describing his development of the perfusion pump, titled An Apparatus For the Sterile Perfusion of Organs which was published under the title An Apparatus For the Culture of Whole Organs. Writings of Anne Morrow Lindbergh include the typed manuscript for Listen! The Wind, typescripts of a book of poems written during her years at college, three notebooks containing short essays and meditations, and printed copies of articles published in national publications. Copies of her 1940 radio broadcast, The Wind of Privation or the Sun of Mercy? and miscellaneous notes and drafts for poems complete this section. The Printed Material series includes a wide assortment of non-manuscript items arranged according to form of material: invitations, awards and certificates, newspaper clippings, ephemera, periodicals, reports, blueprints and specifications, broadsides, and charts. While some of the items in the series are personal belongings of the Lindberghs, much of the material was sent to them by the general public. The quantity of items in this series underscores the tremendous world-wide interest shown in the aviator in 1927, as well as in the decades that followed. Hundreds of invitations to public and social events are contained in this series. Included are invitations, menus, and programs of functions held in Europe immediately following the flight, and during Lindbergh’s 48-state tour. Illuminated scrolls of welcome, testimonials and certificates of award were popular ways in which groups expressed their admiration to Lindbergh. Over 150 of these mementoes presented to Lindbergh during this tour, and at later dates, are filed alphabetically within four subject groups: those from nations, states, cities and organizations. A large number of newspaper clippings have been mounted on bond paper with the date of the article typed in the upper right hand corner. These are arranged chronologically. Unmounted clippings are filed in separate folders immediately behind the mounted clippings according to the year. The folders of unmounted material include clippings removed from correspondence and Lindbergh’s subject files and the identification of the letter from which the item was removed will be found on the clipping in the upper right hand corner. The bulk of the clippings are from 1927-1928 recording the New York-Paris flight and South American good-will tour. Others pertain to events in the lives of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh from 1929-1955. Additional newspaper articles can be found in the Scrapbooks series. Letters to Lindbergh from individuals wanting his attention to their special proposal or request, often contained printed matter to support the writer’s particular interest. Scores of brochures, blueprints, charts, circulars, monographs, periodicals, reports, and specifications were received, with much of the material pertaining to aviation matters. The container list, included within this register, provides the name of periodicals, and titles and authors of reports, charts, blueprints, and specifications. Personal documents of the Lindberghs, such as driver and pilot licenses, membership cards, and identification certifications are filed in the Ephemera subseries. The Maps Series contains over 500 maps used by the Lindberghs on flights in the United States and during their travels throughout the world. Most of the maps contain Lindbergh’s signature in the lower right hand corner along with route markings for the intended flight. Some of the maps have in-flight notations written in the margins as well as notes exchanged between Lindbergh and his wife. The maps are arranged alphabetically within geographical areas. Sheet Music contains over 250 pieces of music inspired by Lindbergh’s flight to Paris. A few songs were written at the time of the birth and death of Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr. Letters to Lindbergh that accompanied the manuscript or printed music have been left with the composition. The music, received over a 10-year period, is arranged alphabetically by title. The Stamps Series includes a varied collection of covers and foreign stamps. The covers have been arranged chronologically by type which include first flight covers, anniversary covers, decorative covers (hand decorated envelopes received after the New York-Paris flight), and special Lindbergh cancellations. There is also a notebook containing 154 First Flight Covers signed by pilots of these flights, 16 of which are signed by Charles A. Lindbergh. The stamps have been arranged into three groups: commemorative stamps in honor of Lindbergh from six foreign countries and the United States; non-Lindbergh commemorative stamps; and envelopes with stamps received from foreign countries by Lindbergh and his mother in the year following the 1927 flight. These are arranged alphabetically according to country. Scrapbooks include over 40 items sent to Lindbergh by individuals and organizations that generally contain newspaper clippings regarding his transatlantic flight. Several scrapbooks from school children contain original writings and drawings by the students. The New York Times and St. Louis Post-Dispatch sent bound volumes of complete issues of their papers during the historic period. The New York Times also presented Lindbergh with scrapbooks containing press reports of his South American good-will tour and the transatlantic survey flight of 1933. Souvenir issues of United States and foreign tabloids are among the series, as well as several scrapbooks on aviation history, one with a collection of literary reviews of We, and three volumes of clippings from the Japan Times regarding the Lindbergh’s flight to the Orient in 1931.
Dates
- 1929 June 10
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research use.
Extent
From the Collection: 81.0 Cubic Feet ( (124 boxes; 2 wrapped packages; 42 volumes; oversize material))
Language of Materials
English
Creator
- From the Collection: Lindbergh, Charles A. (Charles Augustus), 1902-1974 (Author, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Missouri Historical Society Library and Research Center Repository