Volume 32 I Issue 1 I 2015 I ISSN 0954-2183

TORCH BEARER Official publication of the Society of Olympic Collectors

1859 1924 1866 1928 1870 1932 1875 1936 1896 1948 1900 1952 1904 1956 1906 1960 1908 1964 1912 1968 1920 1972 1924 1976 1928 1980 1932 1984 1936 1988 1948 1992 1952 1994 1956 1998 1960 2002 1964 2006 1968 2010 1972 2014 1976 2018 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 SOC Society of Olympic Collectors Society of Olympic Collectors Executive Committee

Chairman Bob Wilcock email: [email protected] 24 Hamilton Crescent, Brentwood, Essex CM14 5ES, United Kingdom

Vice-Chairman Vacant

Secretary Paula Burger email: [email protected] 19 Hanbury Path, Sheerwater, Woking, Surrey GU21 5RB, United Kingdom

Editor & Mike Pagomenos email: [email protected] Website Admin 8 Tayside Drive, Edgware, Middlesex HA8 8RD, United Kingdom

Treasurer & David Frome email: [email protected] Distribution 129 Leicester Road, Bamet, Hertfordshire EN5 5EA, United Kingdom Manager

Auction Manager Chris Cohen email: [email protected] 3 Cowham Close, Alfreton, Derbyshire DE55 7HG, United Kingdom

Librarian Ken Cook email: [email protected] 31 Thorn Lane, Rainham, Essex RM13 9SJ, United Kingdom

International Vacant Packet Secretary

Public Relations Vacant Officer

Committee Jonathan Rosenthal! email: [email protected] Member 7 Sandmoor Lane, Leeds LS17 7EA, United Kingdom

Torch Bearer

Back Issues: At present, most issues of Torch Bearer are still available to Volume 1, Issue 1 (March 1984), although some issues are no longer available. As stocks of issues are depleted they will not be reprinted and the Society cannot guarantee stocks of back issues for more than the last four years. Back issues cost £2 each, or £8 for a year's issues to Volume 24 and £2.50 per issue from Volume 25 except for Volume 25 issue 4b which is £4 and Volume 27 issue 1 which is £6. When ordering single issues please indicate which volume you require. UK cheques should be made payable to the 'Society of Olympic Collectors' and sent with your order to David Frome at the above address. Overseas payments should be made in £ Sterling via Paypal. Postage rates per issue are UK £0.60, Europe £2.30 and World £3.40.

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Copy Dates: Torch Bearer is usually published four times a year: in March, June, September and December. Articles or adverts for inclusion should be sent two months in advance. Torch Bearer Volume 32 I Issue 1 12015 I ISSN 0954-2183

Contents April 2015

Editorial 2

Robert Kevin Farley 1955-2015 3

The Wonderland of Gerald M. King 7

The Reverend C B Greatrex aka Lindon Meadows 12

Athens 1906 - Cesare Tifi 14

Athens 1906 - The Pancrastinae 17

8th International Olympic Congress in badge 18

Munich 1972 - West 's gold medallists 19

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Payments are accepted through Paypal in £ sterling only and include the additional costs involved with accepting payment through Paypal. 1 Editorial

Bob Wilcock begins this issue by remembering Bob Farley, our former chairman and editor. Bob Farley was a powerhouse that kept the Society of Olympic Collectors going for two decades. Despite 2015 being inbetween Sochi and Rio there are a number of Olympic anniversaries with round numbers that fall between Olympics this year. These include: the 90th anniversary of a notable International Olympic Congress in Prague; the 100th anniversary of the IOC's relocation to Lausanne; then more curiously there is the 150th anniversary of the Wonderland Olympic Games which should raise some eyebrows. Two articles in this issue touch on two of these anniversaries. Moving back to the 19th century we unearth two pseudonyms with unexpected Olympic connections in Oxford and Much Wenlock. On entering the 20th century we find two unofficial souvenirs, with Italian influences, from the IOC's 2nd International Olympic Games. From the 1925 Congress in Prague, the official badge worn by the delegates. Then fast forward to 1972 for some unofficial but appropriate tegestology. There is a loose theme running throughout this issue. The 1865 Wonderland Olympic Games is a fantasy. The 1866 National Olympian Games in London was real but is not officially recognised by the IOC as an Olympic Games. Nor are the Athens 1859, 1870 and 1875 Olympics that are listed on the cover officially recognised by the IOC despite being international events. The 1906 Athens Olympic Games, held under IOC auspices, was originally and officially the IOC's 2nd International Olympic Games and now it is not. 'International Sports Week 1924' was only named and recognised as the first Winter Olympic Games after the event just as Paris 1900 and St Louis 1904 were only recognised after Athens 1906. All items illustrated in this issue are unofficial souvenirs except for the IOC's Congress badge. In the same vein, the IOC officially claims that Athens 1896 was 'the first modern Olympic Games' despite the fact that Athens 1896 was the third modern Olympics to be hosted in the Panathenaic stadium and the fourth modern Olympics to be hosted in Athens. Yet, the IOC claims that only the IOC revived the Olympic Games in modern times. Nor did Jacques Rogge, former president of the IOC, have any difficulty in announcing to the world, during his speech at the 2008 Olympic Games Ceremony, 'Athletes, these Games were created for you by our founder, Pierre de Coubertin'. The IOC and the organizing committee for Athens 1896 adopted ideas, funding, methodology, ceremonies, as well as a venue from past Olympics and the Olympic revival progressed from these earlier Olympics that the IOC does not officially recognise or credit. There really is no difficulty in disputing the IOC's brash claims. However, teachers, historians and the global media teach our children the IOC's 'official' version of history and ignore what actually happened. I have to admit that I too was hoodwinked by the IOC's 'official' version and it has taken me years of reading early modem Olympic history to appreciate that. However, the IOC is clearly having difficulty distinguishing historical reality from its own retroactively-invented fantasy. Readers may notice that Torch Bearer has a different format since Bob Farley used Microsoft Excel software and I am using, for the very first time, open source desktop publishing software Scribus 1.4.5. Forgive my learning curve which was inevitable whichever software application I used since I have not needed to use DTP software for more than 25 years. Also, unlike Bob, I do need to sleep more than 7 hours in every 24 and therefore Torch Bearer will inevitably be thinner than it used to be. I also hope that others will find the confidence to step forward to volunteer to edit Torch Bearer since I am not planning to do so for more than a year.

2 Robert Kevin Farley 1955-2015 by Bob Wilcock

I don't know when Bob started collecting the Olympics, but he joined the Society in 1985, just a year after its formation, went to his first Olympics, in Calgary, in 1988, and promptly wrote a series of reports in his hallmark style - accurate and comprehensive reporting laced with fascinating details of his personal experiences at the Games. In 1994 he became Editor of the Society's magazine, Torch Bearer. Soon he was producing it, using Excel spreadsheets in a way Microsoft never imagined - no fancy desk top publishing programme for Bob! In recent years he was printing it too. In 1996 he became Chairman, and has been driving the Society forward with enthusiasm ever since. More recently he was appointed to the IOC's Collectors Commission and was a member of a working party to reform the way the IOC interacts with collectors. All this and a living to earn - it's a good job he only needed 3 or 4 hours sleep a night! For Bob Olympic collecting was not just a hobby it was a passion that went through to his very soul. A passion Bob wanted to share. For him having a collection was just the end result of an energetic, well-planned, very personal, very social and very enjoyable process. You cannot really understand Olympic collecting without going to the Olympics. Juan Antonio Samaranch, former President of the IOC described collecting as "the sport of spectators", and this was Bob's sport - mind you he did not do a lot of spectating - as Brenda knows only too well he would spend more time in post offices that watching events. Olympic collecting took Bob all round the world. He attended every Summer and Winter Olympics from 1992, and with every Games his circle of friends expanded. It was in Lillehammer in Norway in 1994 that Bob first met Thomas Lippert, a true kindred spirit, and Bob's closest philatelic friend, who is here with us today. It wasn't just Olympic Games that gave a reason to travel and meet with collector friends and families. There were fairs and other events around Europe in particular. Bob drove to these when he could. He loved driving, and was a good and relaxed driver. For him 2 or 3 thousand miles to Athens was nothing. I'm not sure his passengers found it quite so appealing, but everyone enjoyed whatever event it was they were driving to. I particularly recall the trip to Greece in 2012 for the Torch lighting. Bob drove, we flew, but we met up and he drove us on particularly hairy mountain roads to some of his favourite places on the Greek coast. It was a memorable week. The pinnacle of Bob's Olympic life was of course London 2012. He and I had the privilege of concluding the very first licensing agreement made by the organising committee, and the only one that did not involve payment of a fee! Bob gently pestered the IOC into putting on a philatelic exhibition in London, and when they agreed, who else could they ask to organise it?! For 18 months he and I worked as a team - the 2 Bobs, Big Bob and Little Bob - co- ordinating with the IOC and the British Library's exhibitions staff. I saw at first hand the organisational skills, knowledge, time and energy he put into organising what turned out to be a very successful and innovative exhibition. When he wasn't manning the Collectors' Cabin at the exhibition or producing souvenirs Bob was busy acting as a volunteer Gamesmaker for London 2012, as a driver for officials and competitors. By the end of 2012, working with myself, Thomas and others, Bob had written, produced and published the definitive guide to the philately of London 2012. And this will be his legacy. Those of us who knew him personally will remember him as a great friend, thorough and meticulous, a stickler for detail who did not suffer fools gladly, and one who freely shared his time and his knowledge. The collecting world at large will remember him through that knowledge that he shared. We will miss him, but his writings are his memorial. 3 4

From right to left. BobFa rley, Sir Philip Craven (IPC) andMr Gerhard Heiberg (IOC) atOly mpex 2012. From left to right. Bob Farley, Bob Wilcock and Ellis Kwan in the Collectors' Cabin at Olympex 2012. 0)

From left to right. David and Rennie Buxton, Bob and Brenda Farley and Bob Wilcock at Olympia for the Torch ceremony in 2012. The Wonderland Olympic Games of Gerald M. King by Mike Pagomenos

It all happened on a warm summer afternoon on July 4, 1865 apparently. The day that Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, also known as Lewis Carroll, sent a presentation copy of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' to Alice Liddell. It was the Alice who asked him to tell her a story. The July 4th date is particularly significant since, Mr Dodgson first told the story of Alice to the Liddell sisters on July 4, 1862 on an Oxford boating trip. [Ref. 1 and 2]

In 1965, Gerald M. King. a British stamp designer, designed a set of stamps that was not accepted by the General Post Office (the original name for the British postal service between 1660 and 1969). This rejection motivated him to produce a series of Lewis Carroll fantasies. The four covers illustrated here commemorate the Wonderland Olympic Games of 1865. They were made by Mr King in 1978 and ofcourse the unofficially used Olympic rings logo did not exist in 1865 because it had not yet been designed. [Ref. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6]

Messrs. Dodo, Lory 81 Co. Ltd. Endangered Species Institute Memory Lane Wonderland

Figure 1. A Wonderland Olympic Games cover with one dodo commemorative

Figure 1 illustrates a cover from the first series that was made in 1978 with three perforated adhesives tied with a pair of unofficial cancelled to order, undated. commemorative, Pool of Tears, Thimblesworth, Wonderland postmarks. The values of the definitives from left to right are 3 Winks and 5 Winks. The largest adhesive illustrating Alice with a dodo is a commemorative of the prize giving ceremony at the Wonderland Olympic Games with no value indicated. However, there is a similar vignette with a value of 20 Winks and these also can be found on cover see figure 2. [Ref. 2 and 3]

7 Messrs. Dodo, Lory Co. Ltd. 1865 Endangered Species Institute Memory Lane Wonderland

Figure 2. A Wonderland Olympic Games cover with two different dodo commemoratives

•woiniuu,AND; .• „ • • • • T, 0-• • —

aCo The 'thane of (Elubg a Potter of inigqualification Eine to 2bue of flamingo Rai Curb Cncloseb deport to executioner.

Figure 3. A Wonderland Olympic Games cover with two different commemoratives Figures 3 and 4 illustrate covers with perforated adhesives tied with cancelled to order, commemorative, Croquet Lawn, Royal Palace, Wonderland postmarks. The first commemorative on the left illustrates Alice holding a Flamingo and commemorates the Wonderland Olympic Games. It has a value of 7 Winks. The second commemorative of the 'Royal Visit' illustrates the Queen of Hearts and has a value of 6 Winks. Figure 5 shows a red card contained within each cover that was issued to the Knave of Clubs for his disqualification and which is illustrated with an executioner. [Ref. 3] 8 To The Knave of Clubs, A Notice of Disclualification Due to Abuse of Flamingo - Red Card enclosed ! ! ! GA mnE S Report to Executioner. Figure 4 Anotner Wonderland Olympic Games cover with two different commemoratives

(/(11,,//‘FirW/ IP M/IW. V • —

Figure 5. The red card Figure 6. An earlier design

Figure 7 All three Wonderland Olympic Games commemoratives listed in the catalogue

9 The 'Alice, The Millenium Collection' catalogue, published in June 2000, lists three Olympic Games adhesives. However, the catalogue is not comprehensive since Mr King had printed earlier versions of these stamps and has not listed or illustrated them in his catalogue. One example, of an earlier design is the 20 Winks red shown in figure 6. The catalogue does include the three mint examples shown in figure 7 and these are the only three Olympic commemoratives listed. The dodo commemorative without an indicated value is listed as an error in the catalogue. [Ref. 3]

There are other challenges involved in collecting Mr King's fantasies. The original fantasies printed by Mr King were printed with whatever ink and paper was available i.e. the same stamp can appear in different shades, colours, on different papers, as well as modified designs as the designs evolved. This also applies to the covers. But the ideas for his designs have also been copied by others and apparently there are some forgeries. However, I do not know if there are forgeries of any of the four adhesives shown here and I am not certain that the 20 Winks red is one of Mr King's originals other than by asking Mr King himself. The three shown in figure 7 have been sourced directly from Mr King and are his genuine fantasies. I also note that the cover of the catalogue is also printed on different coloured papers and note covers in white paper or yellow card as shown in figure 9.

Interestingly, Mr King displayed a fantasy exhibit entitled 'Elizatoria' at Autumn Stampex at the Business Design Centre, Islington, London in 1998 and the promotional literature mentioned Wonderland. [Ref. 7]

Alice Liddell married Reginald Hargreaves, a cricketer, in 1880. She died aged 82 in 1934 and on her grave in Lyndhurst, Hampshire, is a memorial plaque that says The grave of Mrs Reginald Hargreaves the "Alice" in Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland"'.

For the 150th anniversary, the Royal Mail issued a set of Alice in Wonderland stamps on 6 January 2015 and Aldemey Post issued another set on 5 February 2015

00119,4 Me 4,T cR, i§f,* 164 54e rounb Acre

Figure 8. 'A Philatelic Phantasy' by Mr King

10 TALL a/ILL-LC.4111J*

priced Cnlnlogu, fo:• i!., p0,5tage camp* of Wondal and Looking-Gln** 6011d.

June. 2000

Figure 9. 'Alice, The Millenium Collection' catalogue signed on cover by Mr King

References 1. 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' by Lewis Carroll, edited by Richard Kelly, published by Broadview Press in 1985. 2. 'Alice through the Pillar-box and What She Found There, A Philatelic Phantasy, by Gerald M. King '(with a little assistance from Lewis Carroll and Sir John Tenniel)', published by Whizzard Press in 1978 (see figure 8). 3 'Alice, The Millenium Collection, Priced Catalogue for the Postage Stamps of Wonderland and Looking-Glass Land', by Gerald M King published by the Phantasmagoria Security Printing Company, in Wonderland, in June 2000 (see figure 9). 4. The Lewis Carroll Society www.lewiscarrollsociety.org.uk 5. Cinderella Stamps Forum www.cinderellastampsforum.corn 6. GBStamps.com www.gbstamps.com 7. Gibbons Stamp Monthly, October 1998, Fantasy Exhibit at Stampex'.

11 The Reverend C B Greatrex aka Lindon Meadows by Mike Pagomenos

I discovered a halfpenny postal stationery card addressed to Mrs Wilkinson at Cotswold House, Clevedon, Somersetshire with Much Wenlock duplex cancel dated April 4, 1898 (see figure 1). The content concerns the death of Reverend Charles Butler Greatrex (see figure 2). As mentioned in past articles, Mrs Wilkinson was the sister of Dr William Penny Brookes of Much Wenlock.

Mr Greatrex was married to Isabella Brookes, the daughter of Dr William Penny Brookes who was the president of the National Olympian Association, the organizing committee for the National Olympian Games hosted at Crystal Palace in London in 1866. [Ref. 1]

The National Olympian Committee formed for this event was the first British National Olympic Committee and the first National Olympic Committee formed outside of Greece. It was also the second Olympic Committee that contributed to the revival of the Olympic Games in modem times. The International Olympic Committee was the third. [Ref. 1]

Dr Brookes founded the Wenlock Olympian Society in 1860 which has organised the Annual Wenlock Olympian Games in Much Wenlock at Linden Field and in other local sports facilities since 1860. Not 1850 as claimed by the Wenlock Olympian Society since the first event to be called 'Wenlock Olympian Games' and the first to be organised by the Wenlock Olympian Society was held in 1860. There is no stadium at Much Wenlock. [Ref. 1]

157Z1/ter,-;,

Figure 1. Front of halfpenny postal stationery card

This postcard mentions several members of Dr Brookes' family including Mrs Anne Wilkinson (his sister), 'Ade' who is Adeline Fyfe (his daughter), Gertrude Greatrex (his granddaughter) and the sender is Edith (his niece) the daughter of Andrew Goode Brookes (his brother). This postcard notifies Mrs Wilkinson of the death of Mr Greatrex who was Gertrude's father.

12 'Mr Greatrex was an author and poet who used the pseudonyms 'Lindon Meadows', 'Able Log' and 'F[rank] Abell'. `Lindon Meadows' is evidently derived from Linden Field which hosts the majority of events at the Annual Wenlock Olympian Games founded by his father-in-law. [Ref. 2 and 3]

'The Adventures of Maurice Drummore, Royal Marines, by land and sea' (1884), a successful novel about the adventures of a Royal Marine, was written by 'Lindon Meadows' and illustrated by 'F. Abell' i.e. Mr Greatrex wrote and illustrated this novel. Mr Greatrex was the son of a lieutenant in the Royal Marines and his novel drew from his father's experiences. He was educated at King's College in London and graduated in 1855. He was ordained in 1856 and for most of his life lived in the West Country. [Ref. 2 and 3]

A/At i'4'4',../;" • /....--.4.A4r.4/4...ce

See:.

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2.4:7:47, / /e.-74 4... 4.'4 e 57-7 9 ,17-7-T,' Ace—, ,A00.1 .„7„,,*,, -z - Figure 2. Back of halfpenny postal stationery card

The surname 'Greatrex' was orginally written 'Great Rex', as two separate words, however many references do use the surname 'Greatrex' instead. Knowing that Mr Greatrex died in 1898 makes the difficult to read postmark more obvious. [Ref. 3]

References 1. "The Modern Olympics - A Struggle for Revival" by David C. Young, published by The Johns Hopkins University Press in 1996. 2. "Mid-Victorian Poetry 1860-1879 - An annotated biobibliography" by Catherine W. Reilly, published by Mansell Publishing Limited in 2000. 3. "The Stanford Companion to Victorian Fiction" by John Sutherland, published by Stanford University Press in 1989.

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13 Athens 1906 - Cesare Tifi by Mike Pagomenos

This is an expanded and improved version of an article that first appeared in the newsletter of the Hellenic Philatelic Society of Great Britain (issue no.53, Spring 2012).

I found this black and white postcard within a large collection of Athens 1906 postcards. It was the only postcard that was not showing an event inside the Panathenaic stadium. It was impossible to overlook since the outstanding handlebar moustache is clearly larger than the neatly hand-tied bow tie. Many of the postcards in the collection were signed 'Emilio'. But this postcard of Cesare Tifi (1874-1935) was autographed by Cesare Tifi and was likely handed to Emilio Brambilla in person as a souvenir (see figure 1).

Cartolina Postale Italian

CARTE POSTALE D'ITALIE,

► 4 Figure 1. Postcard of Cesare Tifi given to Emilio Brambilla by Cesare Tifi

Emilio Brambilla was an Italian pentathlete who participated at the IOC's 2nd International Olympic Games in Athens in 1906. He was a prolific postcard signer. He gave out many postally unused Athens 1906 postcards to family and friends. All signed 'Emilio'. It appears that Cesare Tifi returned the favour with his own personal 'Cartolina Postale Italiana' (Italian Postcard) that he dated '5 Maggio 1906' (5 May 1906). Only three days after the Olympics had concluded and probably on the ship sailing back home to . Cesare Tifi also participated at Athens 1906.

14

Some of you may have raised an eyebrow when I referred to Athens 1906 as the IOC's 2nd International Olympic Games. When Emilio Brambilla and Cesare Tifi competed there, Athens 1906 was formally recognised by the 10C as the '2nd International Olympic Games' held under its auspices. The official report published after the event called it that. The winners medals also recorded it as such. It is not difficult to be lulled in to the 100's retroactively modified version of history which effectively claims that what happened at Athens 1906 is less than what it was. In fact, during the Opening Ceremony of London 2012 when both Seb Coe and Jacques Rogge claimed in their speeches that London was the first city to host the Games three times they were effectively claiming that the Athens 1906 Olympic Games was never, at any time, recognised as an Olympic Games by the IOC.

Here is an abridged CV of Cesare Tifi's sporting achievements: • In 1896 he was the captain and goalkeeper of the first football squad of in what became the Foot Ball Club di Roma (FBC di Roma) in 1901. He was also a referee for football games in Rome in the early 20th century. • During the Athens 1906 Olympic Games he was the team leader of the Italian national gymnastics squad as well as the Rome gymnastics squad. • During the Stockholm 1912 Olympic Games he was a gymnastics judge. • During World War I, between 1915 and 1918 he was an Italian army officer (and a specialist in Alpine mountain-climbing). • In 1922 he published "L'Educazione Fisica Italiana" (Italian Physical Education). • Between 1929 and 1930 he was the Secretary of the Italian National Olympic Committee (NOC). • Between 1930 and 1931 he was the Secretary of the Federazione ltaliana Pallacanestro (Italian Federation of Basketball).

L 4. C. R. hockm. R. 71u i K. Cleter:.:. V re... 15)1 , Oar X. *Ms C. LI.etli M.\ rPo,. P Mali,111 Rom.)

Figure 2. Newspaper cutting with Cesare Tifi, left of centre, in the Rome gymnastics squad

15 I suspect that there are many other achievements that are not listed here since my research has not been extensive. I did find out more from his grandson Dr Leandro Tifi, in Rome, who used to play basketball for many years and who married an Italian high jumper. She used to regularly place second in Italian nationals to who held the world high-jumping record in the 1980s. Leandro is also a team leader for a large group of venture scouts.

Cesare Tifi was born in Rome. He was an all-round athlete. He was a school gymnastics teacher and he married a colleague who was also a gymnastics teacher. He wrote many books about physical education that included, amongst other subjects, track and field athletics, basketball, boxing, gymnastics and fencing. His gymnastics team was the Society Ginnastica Roma (Rome Gymnastics Society) and he participated in Olympic Games as a gymnast, team leader, trainer and judge up till 1924. Indicating that there are some gaps in his abridged CV above.

Sadly, Leandro did not get a chance to meet his grandfather in person since his grandfather died in 1935 before his father, Cesar August Tifi, was married. Leandro's son Francesco (Cesare Tifi's great grandson) is a rugby-player. Coincidentally, Leandro, like his grandfather, proudly sports a moustache but also a beard.

The Tifi family tree can be traced back to the 16th century when an Italian Navy Officer named Cesare Tifi boarded one of five ships of the Pope's fleet. These sailed/rowed under the command of Admiral Marcantonio Colonna, Duke and Prince of Paliano, to the gulf of Patras (in Greece). On October 7, 1571 at the naval battle of Lepanto, the Holy League defeated the Ottoman fleet and Admiral Marcantonio Colonna received a great deal of credit for the victory.

The Society of Olympic Collectors will have a table at MAGNAPEX 2015 organised by the Surrey Federation of Philatelic Societies. There will be a Stamp Fair and Exhibition.

Come and meet us at: MAGNAPEX 2015 Saturday, July 4th, 2015 10:00am to 4:00pm Free admission and programme

at the Addlestone Community Centre Garfield Road, Addlestone KT15 2NJ

16 Athens 1906 - The Pancrastinae by Mike Pagomenos

I spotted this early maximum card in a recent online auction. It attracted my attention because the photograph on the Italian postcard is a fine match for the 30 lepta stamp of the Athens 1906 host country commemorative issue.

The stamp is tied with a postmark from the Central Athens Post Office dated 6 January 1907. The philatelist that made this maximum card must have discovered the postcard several months after the event and decided that it would be perfect for a maximum card and they were right.

The vendor did not indicate whether it was postally used or cancelled to order. Probably cto, as are many philatelic souvenirs of Athens 1906, this maximum card sold for almost 170 Euros (approximately £125) at auction in February 2015.

The photograph shown on this postcard is of a marble statue at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. There are many copies, paintings and drawings of this statue around the world which is thought to be a Roman copy in marble of a lost ancient Greek bronze original.

When this Roman statue was found in an excavation in 1583, in Rome, the male figures had already lost their heads. The heads that we see today are similar to the heads of a group of statues found in that excavation and we may never know what the statue or the original ancient Greek bronze that was copied looked like.

17 This statue is called 'Les Lutteurs' ('The Wrestlers') but is also known as 'The Pancrastinae'. Despite being called 'The Wrestlers' the statue represents participants of a pankration match which is a mixed martial arts competition.

The pankration was a competition of the ancient Olympic Games. Only biting and gauging out of the eyes was forbidden. Although there are no pankration competitions in the modern Olympics today, some of the more brutal mixed martial arts competitions that are held outside of the Olympics are the modern day equivalent. The trainers of these competitors, both then and now, customized their styles to best suit the strengths and weaknesses of each competitor.

References 1 Uffizi Galerie Museum www.uffizi.org 2. Royal Academy of Arts Collections www.racollection.org.uk

8th International Olympic Congress in Prague badge by Mike Pagomenos

Each participant of the 8th International Olympic Congress in Prague, Czechoslovakia in 1925 wore a badge. The dimensions of these bronze metal badges are 34mm x 35mm. These small pin-badges appear with or without serial numbers. Many of these badges have missing pins or clasps. Badges with serial numbers are more highly desired than those without serial numbers.

The maker's stamp on the back is 'KARNET - KYSELY PRAHA' and a double-tailed lion rampant, from the coat of arms of the Czech Republic, is embossed on the front of the badge.

Figure 1. From left to right: front of badge, and the backs of two serially numbered examples

This Congress was notable because: • 'International Winter Sports Week 1924' was retroactively recognised as the first Winter Olympic Games; • the length of all future Olympic Games was limited to no more than 2 weeks; • this Congress was Baron Pierre de Coubertin's final Olympic Congress before retiring as president of the IOC.

18 Munich 1972 - 's Gold Medallists by Mike Pagomenos

Here is a list of all the West German gold medallists of the Munich 1972 Olympic Games:

Hildegard Feick (Athletics, women's 800 metres) Klaus Wolfermann (Athletics, men's ) Bernd Kannenberg (Athletics, men's 50 km walk) Ulrike Meyfarth (Athletics, women's ) (Athletics, women's ) Christiane Krause, , , and Heide Rosendahl (Athletics, women's 4x100m relay) Dieter Kottysch (Boxing, men's light middleweight) Jurgen Colombo, Gunter Haritz, Udo Hempel, and Gunther Schumacher (Cycling, men's 4000m team pursuit) Fritz Ligges, Hartwig Steenken, Gerhard Wiltfang, and Hans-Gunter Winkler (Equestrian, jumping team competition) Liselott Linsenhoff (Equestrian, dressage individual competition) Wolfgang Baumgart, Horst Drose, Dieter Freise, Werner Kaessmann, Carsten Keller, Detlev Kittstein, Ulrich Klaes, Michael Krause, Peter Kraus, Michael Peter, Wolfgang Rott, Fritz Schmidt, Rainer Seifert, Wolfgang StrOdter, Eckart Suhl, Eduard Thelen, Peter Trump and Uli Vos (Field Hockey, men's team competition) , Uwe Benter, , Alois Bierl, and Hans-Johann Farber (, men's coxed fours) Konrad Wimhier (Shooting, men's skeet)

There are a total of thirteen individual or team gold medals including Liselott Linsenhoff (see figure 1).

I found a group of 12 very attractive gold medallist beer mats (see figure 2). The vendor advised me that he had approached the Palmbrau brewery and received a group of 12 beer mats when they were first issued. However, there were 13 West German gold medallists at the Munich 1972 games, and not 12, but I have not yet seen a 13th beer mat which should be for Liselott Linsenhoff. If anybody has seen it I would very much like to see a picture of it.

I AJMA N

Figure 1. Liselott Linsenhoff, possibly the subject of a 13th beer mat

19 Figure 2. A group of Munich1972 gold medallist beer mats issued by the Pa lmbrau brewery Bid at SPORTS COLLECTIBLES AUCTION HA.com/Sports

1912 Stockho m Olyrip:cs 1932 Individual Winner's Medal !Sold Go cll. Summer Olympics . Estimate: s40,000+ Estimate: 52,000+ February 21-22, 2014 Platnurn NightP October 24-26, 2013

1904 St. Lou's Summer Olympics 1,924 Parls Summer Olympics 1980 U.S. Hockey "Mirage on . Gold Medal Awarded to Ice" Olympic Gold Medal Sold For: S38,387 May 2013 Member of Ui LigLayan Football/ Presented to Mark Wells. Soi cor Srolci For: $310,100 Sold For: $26,2901 October 2012 November 2010

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