‘Crime of the century’ exhibit at Little Falls museum explores impacts of Lindbergh kidnapping
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A new exhibit at the Charles Lindbergh House and Museum in central Minnesota explores the infamous kidnapping of the famed aviator’s infant son.
Lindbergh is best known for completing the first solo, nonstop flight between New York and Paris in 1927, gaining worldwide fame.
The museum and Lindbergh’s childhood home chronicle his life from birth until death. It’s operated by the Minnesota Historical Society and gets about 9,000 in-person visitors a year, plus another 10,000 online.
In 1932, Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s 20-month-old son, Charles Jr., was kidnapped from their home in New Jersey. His body was found 10 weeks later.
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"It's a devastating topic, but it's something that our guests were really wanting more information on,” said Kayla Stielow, site manager. “We're laying it out in the most well-researched way possible, so that guests can get all of the information in one reliable space before they draw their own conclusions.”
Stielow said the exhibit, called “Crime of the Century,” offers a more in-depth look at the impacts of the kidnapping on American society and the legal system.
The case resulted in the passage of the Federal Kidnapping Act, making it a federal crime to kidnap a person and take them across state lines. Ironically, it would not have applied to the Lindbergh case, Stielow said.
In part due to his celebrity, Lindbergh was deeply involved in the investigation, “and at multiple points, really seemed to be the person in charge,” she said.
A power struggle also ensued between the FBI and local and state police, Stielow said, over who should take the lead.
“That helped establish boundaries between who was in charge of investigations and what protocols were in the event of a kidnapping – especially one that became such a big deal, both nationally and globally,” she said.
The exhibit also examines the subsequent trial and conviction of Bruno Richard Hauptmann, a German immigrant. He was sentenced to death and executed in 1936.
Public fascination with the case has continued for nearly a century, with many books, movies, documentaries and websites devoted to conspiracy theories.
Stielow said there’s a big debate about whether Hauptmann was guilty and if so, whether he acted alone.
“Because there are elements to this that just don't make sense,” she said.
The museum also has new items on display, a flight helmet and attached radio headset. It was used by Lindbergh and his wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, while they were exploring South America in the 1930s.
The museum doesn’t shy away from Lindbergh’s controversial political beliefs, including support for American isolationism, sympathies with Nazi Germany and anti-Semitic sentiments.
Both Lindberghs were prolific writers, so the museum can offer their writings and speeches in historical context without drawing conclusions for visitors, Stielow said.
“We want to present a space that has reliable information and provides a safe space for conversation,” she said. “We can't tell people how to feel about things, but we can present the historical narrative and the most effective way possible.”
