Beschreibung:

XIVth Olympiad, July 29th to August 14th 1948. Distinguished Visitors' Book, Empire Stadium, Empire Pool & Sports Arena, Wembley, the unique visitors' book with calligraphic title in colours and gold, the first 16 unnumbered leaves with 79 autographs of British royalty, politicians, Olympic officials and visiting dignitaries, the first page with four autographs of King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret and Queen Mary, all dated 29th July 1948, other signatures include Clement Attlee, Violet Attlee, Anthony Eden, Ernest Bevin, Lord Hailsham, Lord Burghley (Chairman of the Organising Committee), Sir William Portal (President of the Games), Princess Juliana, Duke of Edinburgh, Duchess of Kent, Prince George of Denmark, plus dignitaries from Turkey, Norway, Netherlands, Persia, Australia, Canada, India, Jaipur, USA, France, China, Cuba, etc., followed by 58 leaves with 223 autographs of medal-winning competitors including full teams for some sports, the first 13 leaves containing autographs relating to athletics, followed by fencing (6 leaves), weightlifting (2 leaves), football (7 leaves), hockey (6 leaves), cycling (2 leaves), swimming (4 leaves), canoeing (6 leaves), boxing (4 leaves), gymnastics (4 leaves), equestrianism (4 leaves), all but the first leaf (with British royalty) red ruled with five rows and two columns to rectos only, autographs in left column and most right columns with calligraphic script giving country, position and event in red ink, further red ink identification of titles to many of the dignitaries and sportsmen, some autographs dated, competitors' leaves numbered in pencil lower right, some rows blank and some signatures on matching strips of paper neatly pasted in, all edges gilt, contemporary red leather with inner dentelles gilt and leather pastedowns, gilt metal Olympic rings motif onlaid to upper cover, slightly rubbed, 4to (29 x 23.5cm) A unique record of the 1948 Summer Olympics, the first held since the 1936 Games in Berlin. The event came to be known as the Austerity Games, because of the economic climate and post-war rationing. A record 59 nations were represented by 4,104 athletes, in 19 sport disciplines. Germany and Japan were refused permission to participate while the USSR chose not to send any athletes. The United States team won the most total medals, 84, and the most gold medals, 38. The host nation won 23 medals, 3 of them gold. Star performers at the Games, whose autographs are all included in this visitors' book, were Dutch sprinter Fanny Blankers-Koen, dubbed 'The Flying Housewife', who won 4 gold medals in athletics; American Bob Mathias, winner of the decathlon and youngest male ever to win an Olympic gold medal at the age of 17; and Veikko Huhtanen of Finland who had a medal haul of 5 including 3 golds. Not every medal winner is in this book, notable absentees include the winners of the 3 British gold medals for rowing and sailing, these events taking place at Henley and Torbay. There are 223 medal-winner autographs from 26 countries with very little duplication. Multiple medal winners were largely only asked to sign once with their medal wins noted in the right column for individual and team events. It appears that 13 non-medal winning competitors and the USA swimming manager have also signed. The full list of medal winner autographs is available from the auction office. (1)