Aviation Collection

Lot 3936    Session 13 (2.30pm Thursday 26 March)    Aviation Collection

Estimate $200
Bid at live.noble.com.au

CHARLES LINDBERGH TAPESTRY, 1927, (approx 49x139cm; with frame 58x157cm), made in France and listed as No. 1047 in 'Threads of History', features in the centre a suited, facing Lindbergh wearing the French Legion d'Honneur and with the nose of his famous aircraft, the Spirit of St Louis, behind, at the left side, Spirit of St Louis aircraft departing from New York and at the right side, Spirit of St Louis arriving at Paris. A few stain marks at left side and a few small holes, otherwise very fine.

Charles Lindbergh made his solo, non-stop flight on May 20-21, 1927, setting off from the Roosevelt Field in Garden City on New York's Long Island to Le Bourget Field in Paris, France, a distance of nearly 3,600 statute miles (5,800 km). He flew in his single-seat, single-engine Ryan monoplane named Spirit of St. Louis. As a result of this flight, Lindbergh was the first person in history to be in New York one day and Paris the next and was able to claim the $25,000 Orteig Prize that had been on offer by the French-born New York hotelier (Lafayette Hotel) Raymond Orteig since May 19, 1919. The President of France, bestowed the French Legion d'Honneur on Capt. Lindbergh and on 14 December 1927 a Special Act of Congress was passed to award him the Medal of Honor for his historic exploit despite the fact that it was almost always awarded for heroism in combat. The award was presented to Lindbergh by President Coolidge at the White House on March 21, 1928.