AIRWAYS MUSEUM Charles Lindbergh
ROBERTO LEIRO
Not at the museum but in Paris , this is the spot on the apron of Le Bourget airport where Lindbergh landed in 1927 .
The text reads
“ Charles Lindbergh Apres avoir traversé l ’ Atlantique atterrit ici le 21 mai 1927 Ligue Internationale des Aviateurs : Président Clifford B Harmon Les Vieilles Tiges : Président Leon Bathiat
Or translated :
Charles Lindbergh After having crossed the Atlantic landed here on 21 May 1927 International League of Aviators : President Clifford B Harmon Les Veilles Tiges : President Leon Bathiat
US $ 10,580 ( US $ 185,000 in today ’ s money ). I ’ m sure I wasn ’ t the first to take a photo of a detailed model of the Spirit of St . Louis against a white cloud and blue sky backdrop as a souvenir of our visit . The collection of books authored by Charles and his wife , Anne , is impressive .
A pleasant stroll along a path accompanied by the sound of many birds takes you from the museum , past the Lindbergh family icehouse , and to their home . Built in 1906 , it is furnished with a number of original Lindbergh family items . As music fans , Cathy and I appreciated the ivory-keyed piano . Always inventive , Charles built an egg incubator in the dining room . The burn marks it left on the kitchen floor are still clear to see . History fans will appreciate them not having been removed . The stove in the kitchen is adjacent to the water heater Charles helped to install . The laundry that is hanging on a clothesline in front of the home , with a large bucket next to it , is certainly period-correct . the now famous plane being loaded onto the USS Memphis .
As a freelance photographer , one of the pictures that caught my eye shows Lindbergh in a ‘ Welcome Back ’ ceremony in San Diego . The turnout was very large .
As literally one of the most famous people in the world , Lindbergh ’ s image was frequently seen in a variety of products . One of the museum displays is an ad for the Spirit of St . Louis Cigar Co . of Detroit , Michigan , which certainly looks time-appropriate . The five cent price tells you it isn ’ t current . We liked a clock with the Statue of Liberty on one side and the Eiffel Tower on the other . Fun fact : Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel had a hand in both . His company , Eiffel et Compagnie , was responsible for the construction of the Eiffel Tower and of the framework — the skeleton , if you will — of the Statue of Liberty .
Copies of the canceled checks Lindbergh wrote to Ryan Air showed that , in total , with the engine and instruments , the cost of one of the most famous planes in the world came to
In the garage is a great-looking 1916 Saxon that is still used in a number of events . At 14 , Charles drove his parents to California in it . Wait , that chapter of his life gets better . In those days , the fuel was gravity-driven . That being the case , the cars of that era frequently couldn ’ t make it up steep inclines . That happened to Charles and his parents on the way to California . Once again , Charles went with an outsidethe-box solution . He drove up the hill ( wait for it ) backwards . Fuel was now flowing to the engine and the Lindberghs were off and running to the Golden State . Charles had given his parents an early glimpse of the creativity that would lead to one of aviation ’ s greatest moments .
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