On May 20-21, 1927 Charles Lindbergh made his historic non-stop flight from New York to Paris covering a distance of 3,600 miles. Overnight Lindbergh’s status changed from U.S. Air Mail pilot to international hero. He was awarded the nation’s highest military honor, the Congressional Medal of Honor, as well as the Silver Buffalo Award from the Boy Scouts for his distinguished service to youth. Because of his perseverance, courage and bravery, Lindbergh was hailed as a great inspiration for boys, and became a role model for the Boy Scouts of America. At one reception following his flight, Lindbergh received an initiation into the Boy Scouts, was given a Boy Scout pocket knife and a Flying Eagle felt badge.
As Lindbergh quickly became a household name and was admired by folks everywhere, United Wallpaper acted quickly to introduce a wallpaper that same year honoring this American legend. Featuring the Spirit of St. Louis amidst a field of softly-colored clouds, the paper was a tribute to Lindbergh and his remarkable feat. The design is very understated and printed in subtle shades of red, yellow and blue with Lindbergh’s prize-winning plane placed front and center, the name Spirit of St. Louis clearly printed on the fuselage. A boy’s room would be one of the primary markets for this paper, and with its even patterning across the surface it would make a great background for displaying one’s hobbies and collectibles. The wallpaper was machine-printed with oil colors using engraved copper rollers, which produced a surface that was water resistant and could be wiped clean.