In Search of Amelia Earhart

The Museum of Flight brought together resources from around the country for its exhibit about the remarkable life and times of famous American pilot, Amelia Earhart. In Search of Amelia Earhart featured many of her original personal artifacts, as well as photos and newsreel footage.

Overview

Growing up in the early 20th century, Earhart was inspired by the achievements of women of her day and would come to be an inspiration to many more. Earhart was one of a small number of women who earned their pilot’s license in the early 1920s and promoted aviation her entire life. After the non-stop crossing of the Atlantic in 1928 as a passenger aboard the Fokker F.VII Friendship, she had many achievements and also broke a number of records piloting different aircraft. In 1932 she completed a solo transcontinental flight across the U.S. and her celebrity grew, as she became a sought after public speaker and product endorser. In 1937 she nearly completed a record-setting flight around the world, but was lost in the Pacific Ocean—a mystery which captured the world’s attention and continues to be a subject of interest today.

The lesser known Amelia—role model, author, designer, celebrity, icon

• She used her fame to play an important role in the women's rights movement, lecturing around the country
• She published many newspaper and magazine articles, and several books
• For a time, Amelia designed clothing, which was sold exclusively at 30 departments stores throughout the U.S.
• She endorsed several products, including Lucky Strike cigarettes, malted milk, and luggage
• She was a career advisor for women students at Purdue University

Featured Artifacts

• Nurse's uniform she wore during World War I
• Only remaining piece of her Lockheed Electra 10-E
• Other personal artifacts and correspondence reproductions

"In Search of Amelia Earhart" closed May 16, 2010.