Charles Lindbergh’s Trans-Atlantic Flight and Goodwill Tours: News Programs and Home Movie Footage (1927)

Duration: 18:11

Genre: home movie

Year Published: 1927

Format: 16mm

Sound: silent

Description: This reel from the Hopkins Collection contains three home movie-market news specials about Charles Lindbergh’s trans-Atlantic flight, followed by home movie footage of Lindbergh in Caracas, Venezuela spliced on to the reel by Texas oilman, E.B. Hopkins, who was likely working in Caracas at the time. The three cinegraphs/kinograms are titled “Lindbergh: The Epic American Trans-Atlantic Flight”, “Lindbergh’s Triumph”, and “Lindbergh Captures New York”. They profile the various unsuccessful attempts at trans-Atlantic flights prior to Lindbergh's flight, Lindbergh’s success and sudden rise to fame, and his various tours throughout Europe and in New York upon his return, where he is celebrated by citizens and politicians alike. Hopkins’ home movie footage captures scenes of Lindbergh with Venezuelan President Juan Vicente Gómez at his residence and with other dignitaries in Caracas. Hopkins’ splicing of his own related home movie footage onto the reel of commercial releases is an interesting example of home media practices of the day.