1912 Olympiska Spelens Postcards Set and Checklist
‘It’s In The Details’
Title | Olympiska Spelens Postcards |
Year | 1912 |
Size | 3 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ |
Images | Black and White |
Type | Postcards |
Number in Set |
Unknown |
1912 Olympiska Spelens Postcards Overview
This postcard set includes athletes from the 1912 Olympics held in Sweden. The key to the set are the two postcards featuring football star Jim Thorpe as an Olympian.
Before Thorpe became a famous professional football and baseball player, he starred in the Olympics. Thorpe would win gold medals in both the 1912 pentathlon and decathlon. Those medals were later stripped from him after it had been deemed he played semi-professional baseball (professional athletes could not participate in the athletics) but the medals were later restored in 1983.
The first postcard features a black and white picture of Thorpe standing on some steps outside of a building. It is dated to 1912, the year Thorpe enjoyed his Olympic success. The second shows him at the starting line with other runners during a race.
The 1912 Olympics were hosted by Sweden, who captured the most total medals. The United States was second in total medals and finished first in gold medals with 25 (two won by Thorpe).
The medals won by Thorpe were quite valuable. They were made of solid gold, which was the final year that happened.
1912 Olympiska Spelens Postcards Checklist
A complete checklist of the set is not known. The two Jim Thorpe postcards are identified below.
- Jim Thorpe – at starting line
- Jim Thorpe – standing on steps
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