14 x 11", Acrylic on gessoed mounted birch panel
Painting #242, 2016-17
Commemorating the 90th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh's historic solo transatlantic flight aboard the Spirit of St Louis from New York City to Paris, May 20-21, 1927.
With "The Spirit of St Louis" at the National Air and Space Museum,
Washington, DC. Easter 2012.
Prior to his exploit, Lindbergh was a pilot during the early years of the US Air Mail. He provided service for the newly designated route between St. Louis, Mo and Chicago, Ill. with intermediate stops in Springfield and Peoria. Ill.
Following the transatlantic flight, Lindbergh went on a three city celebration tour in the United States with stops in Washington, DC, New York City and St. Louis where many honors were bestowed upon him. In Washington, DC, on June 11, 1927, the Postmaster General presented Lindbergh with a commemorative airmail stamp. It was also the first time a stamp had been issued to honor a person still living.
The top letter in my composition- postmarked St Louis, on June 18, 1927, also bears a special ink stamp in celebration of his crowning achievement on the same day the city would honor him.
After his exploit, Lindbergh never return to his regular job as a U.S. Air Mail pilot. However he used the immense fame to help promote the U.S. Airmail Services. Lindbergh would return to his former route of St. Louis to Chicago in a CAM-2 plane for two-day promotional tour (northbound on February 20; southbound on February 21). On those two flights he carried tens of thousands of self-addressed stamped envelopes sent in from all over America and the world. These were back stamped, and then returned to their senders as a souvenir and collector item. Items carried on flights piloted by Lindbergh are still actively collected under the general designation of "Lindberghiana." The bottom letter postmarked with a lucky horseshoe -''Lindbergh Again Flies the Airmail'' was one among those thousands he carried that I was so fortunate to acquire for this painting.
I've attached a Lindbergh Stamp in mint condition and both letters to the back of the painting, as a special token for the prospect acquisitor.
In 2012, I did a similar painting for a group exhibition entitled "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" held at the Elliott Fouts Gallery in Sacramento, Ca. Click- HERE for Lindbergh bio notes and further documentation of both paintings.
In 2017, a full-circle moment occurred when this painting was exhibited at the OA Gallery in St. Louis, Mo, the city where Lindbergh lived while he orchestrated his dream. Without the eight St Louis men who financed the project which included the making of the custom design monoplane, none of it would have been possible. "The Spirit of St. Louis" was named in honor of those eight supporting patrons.
To acquire this painting, please contact:
Galerie de Bellefeuille
1367 avenue Greene,
Montreal, Quebec H3Z 2A8
Tel: 514.933.4406
e-mail- art@debellefeuille.com
