SPIRIT

The Missouri History Museum in Forest Park contains a full size mock-up of the Spirit of St. Louis. It's the famous aircraft that Charles Lindbergh flew from Long Island, New York, to Paris in 1927. Lindbergh and the plane gained huge fame for the first solo trans-Atlantic flight. The pilot lived in St. Louis at the time and the project was largely funded by his friends at the St. Louis Raquette Club.

Another Year Flown By

I learned something yesterday. Apparently, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was the first newspaper to hire a staff photographer, Garnett Palfrey. It happened some time between 1899 and 1901. This gee whiz fact was acquired yesterday during a family visit to the Missouri History Museum, specifically a great show of panoramic photos of our city from the 19th and early 20th Centuries.

There were supposed to be some special kids' activities but that was kind of a bust. The museum does have a string of galleries aimed at teaching children the history of the region, There is lots to play with and Ellie's activities were not of the intellectual sort. As she wound down, she declared that was having a flower nap and wouldn't move along with us. Four year olds.

The central hall is dominated by a replica of Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis aircraft. Seems like a good way for STL DPB to say good bye to 2017. Tomorrow: pictures of the year.