Spirit of St. Louis Snapshot Collection
Scope and Contents
The Spirit of St. Louis Snapshot Collection contains six snapshots showing the Spirit of St. Louis airplane and Charles Lindbergh. The photographs appear to have been taken in the Ryan Airlines hangar in San Diego, California, likely right after the plane was built. Several men, including Ryan Airlines founder Claude Ryan, are shown posing in front of the plane and fueling it with a gasoline can. One snapshot shows Charles Lindbergh, without the plane. The collection also includes an envelope advertising Pugsley and Chapman trucks, wheelbarrows, and hardware. This is the envelope the photographs arrived in, although their connection is unclear.
Dates
- ca. 1927
Conditions Governing Access
No viewing restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright restrictions may apply. The user assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of copyright.
Biographical / Historical
Charles A. Lindbergh (1902-1974) made the first solo transatlantic flight on May 20-21, 1927, flying from New York to Paris in 33 ½ hours. Lindbergh’s flight was backed by nine St. Louis businessmen, and his plane was dubbed the Spirit of St. Louis. It was built by Ryan Airlines, Inc. in San Diego California. Lindbergh placed his order in February 1927, and the plane was completed on April 28th. He left San Diego for St. Louis on May 10th and left St. Louis for New York on May 11, setting a new transcontinental air record in the process.
Extent
0.04 Cubic Feet ( (1 folder; 6 photographs))
Language of Materials
English
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
No physical or technical restrictions.
Custodial History
Collection purchased from Cowan's Auctions, Inc. No background information provided.
Donor Information
Collection purchaed from Cowan's Auctions, Inc. in 2019.
Existence and Location of Copies
Digital copies and item-level records of select images are posted as they are created and can be accessed through the Online Collections on the Missouri Historical Society website (mohistory.org/collections).
Digitized images are generated from the original item whenever possible and files are adjusted only to ensure an accurate representation. Master files are saved in TIF format and JPEG viewing files are automatically generated from the master files.
Formats
Photographs
Processing Information
Processed by Lauren Sallwasser in 2020.
- Title
- Guide to the Spirit of St. Louis Snapshot Collection.
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- EAD by Lauren Sallwasser using ArchivesSpace.
- Date
- 2020
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Missouri Historical Society, Photographs and Prints Department Repository
Library and Research Center
225 South Skinker Boulevard
St. Louis MO 63105
photo@mohistory.org