Spirit of St. Louis Lindbergh Airplanes Quilt; Circa 1927

In May, 1927, Charles Lindbergh was the first to fly solo across the Atlantic  He went from New York to Paris in 33 hours.  Quiltmakers were inspired to commemorate this historic event.

The example depicted here is unlike others I have seen in that four airplanes are clustered together going in all directions. This gives the quilt a much more artistic and abstract quality than the traditional version in which all of the planes are facing in the same direction. Each of the white blocks has an American eagle quilted in blue thread giving the quilt something of a patriotic red, white and blue appearance. The zig zag border is a terrific way to contain the airplanes.

The quilt measures 66" x 76". It is in excellent, probably unwashed condition. Pennsylvania origin.