Actor James Stewart with the Replica of the "Spirit of St. Louis" Airplane in Henry Ford Museum, October 1979

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Artifact Overview

Renowned screen actor Jimmy Stewart was also an avid pilot. His work and his hobby came together when Stewart starred as Charles Lindbergh in the 1957 film The Spirit of St. Louis. Three replicas of the title airplane were used in the movie, and Stewart purchased one of them. The actor donated his plane to Henry Ford Museum in 1959.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Negative (Photograph)

Date Made

20 October 1979

Subject Date

20 October 1979

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

EI.1929.N.B.83872.5

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 2.375 in
Width: 2.75 in

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    Artifact

    1927 Ryan "Brougham" NYP B-1 Monoplane, Replica of the "Spirit of St. Louis"

    Warner Bros. built this airplane for its 1957 movie The Spirit of St. Louis. The film's star, Jimmy Stewart, donated it to The Henry Ford in 1959. The replica is faithful to Charles Lindbergh's original with two exceptions. The replica's wingspan is shorter, and its cabin has two seats. On Lindbergh's plane, large fuel tanks left room for only one seat.
Actor James Stewart with the Replica of the "Spirit of St. Louis" Airplane in Henry Ford Museum, October 1979