Cast-iron toy tri-motor Fokker aquaplane, painted yellow. Made of multiple castings fitted and securred with screws. Three wire spring cables are fitted to pulleys under plane, allowing the 4 rubber wheels to turn the 3 propellers and activate a noisemaker. Raised letters atop wings spell "FRIENDSHIP". "NX4202" is on tail and "Fokker" is on left side of fuselage. All letters painted blue. Inside hollow fuselage is "HUBLEY." Gold seal on left end of wing reads "It's a Hubley Toy". Profile of Earhart is cast into one of the two rear windows on left side.
The Friendship was flown across the Atlantic from Newfoundland to Wales, on June 17, 1928, with Amelia Earhart aboard. She was only a passenger, but this event won her immense fame, including a ticker tape parade in New York City, and started her career as a major celebrity. (see Notes on why this plane was made.)
Provenance
Plane was given to donor by his friend Charlie Reiger (sp?).
Moderate overal loss of paint; rust on exposed metal; cracking rubber on wheels.
Object ID
G.88.9
Notes
Hubley Mfg. Co. was commissioned by Pittsburgh industrialist Arthur E. Braun (1876-1976) to make 22 yellow aquaplanes modeled on Earhart's Friendship. Earhart signed each one and Braun gave the planes out as gifts at a reception in honor of Earhart, held at his own residence in Pittsburgh in June of 1929. This plane is unsigned, suggesting perhaps that this example may have been a factory extra.
In 1932, Earhart flew solo across the Atlantic, again achieving acclaim as the 2nd person and 1st woman to do so. She received the Distinguished Flying Cross from Congress, the gold medal of the National Geographic Society and the Cross of the Legion of Honor from France.
Place of Origin
Lancaster
Credit
Gift of Samuel S. Snyder, Heritage Center Collection
Neck and upper bottle decorated in glass with a fluted collar that ends with a scalloped edge. On the side, enclosed in an oval, "Ideal Milk Products co. Lancaster, PA." On the other side "One pint liquid." On the base "A.B.C. 2 - Registered" On bottom, in big letters "LMP"
Provenance
Donor states that on Jan. 1, 1929, York Sanitary Milk Co., Lancaster Sanitary Milk Co. and Ideal Milk Products Co. combined to form Penn Dairies.
A. Rectangular pincushion; bottom is red cotton twill and top is solid red wool cross stitch with "M.S." (Miriam Sener, b 1876) a line border done with clear beads. Dense stuffing. 2.5" x 2"
B. Pincushion, 3 inches square. Pink silk fabric covers bottom and is folder over to top. A lace-trimmed 2-inch square of white fabric with embroidered white flowers is attached to the top by 20 one-quarter-inch straight pins,.25-inch apart, lining the edge of the fabric. Pins have varied colored glass heads. An additional 4 pins anchor the center. This cushion is densely stuffed. Some holes in the fabric on the bottom and fabric at corners is worn.
C. Pincushion, 3.24 inches square, covered in light blue satiny fabric. Corners gathered on top to form puffy leaf shapes on each corner. A small lace-edged 1.25-inch square is pinned in the center with five glass-head straight pins. A blue ribbon bow is pinned at two corners. Some holes at the corners.
