History History to more than 15 linguistic groups; a the Prince's Skating Club Rink on the programme of the Games of the PHILATELY AND OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES catalogue on many Olympic medal­ 28 and 29 October. The special VII Olympiad in 1920. Ice hockey lists will also be published in 2002; postmark for the exhibition is also was invented by the Iroquois and an other one on all postmarks the one for the winter sports. Indians some centuries ago and will be published in time for the introduced to "civilisation" by Canada. The Belgian stamps and «Even horses, that I loved so much, The postmarks pinpoint the dates 2006 Winter Games. Stockholm 1912. Count Brunetta by Manfred Bergman* the special postmarks, issued on do not give riders that melanchoiy and even the hours of Olympic Past and IOC Honorary President d'Usseaux, IOC member in Italy, this occasion, are the philatelic- rapture which large frozen lakes events and until videos came into for Life, Juan Antonio Samaranch, proposed to include winter sport postal link to the competitions. One give skaters.» (Alphonse de use (pictures are not precise himself an Olympic philatelist, events at the 1911 IOC Session In step forward towards recognition. Lamartine in «Les confidences») enough), were the only proof to realised the cultural and historical Budapest. To make it part of the what happened. value of philately which spurred him Games he even proposed to end the Olympic year on 31 May 1913. Chamonix 1924. Finally, an kating was the first sport on Olympic philately is Olympic history. on to create the International "International Winter Sports Week" Coubertin's programme of Olympic philatelists are Olympic Federation of Olympic Philately The Nordic countries wanting to took place in Chamonix. This was Olympic sports, but only in historians. Their tools are postal (FlPO). Olympic philatelists are protect their 'Games', the IOC did S partial recognition and indepen­ 1908 was it an Olympic event; documents; their duties, amongst sport and culture minded, realising dence. The Canadian Ice hockey world championships of speed others, include the obligation to the importance of philatelic docu­ team scored a goal ratio of 110-3, a skating were held in 1889 (the first check and control the official ments to Olympic history and also superiority which is unique in world championships of all sports), records; it is far from rare that the fun that collecting can bring to Olympic sports. but made its Olympic debut only in tributed financially to the Games Olympic philatelists succeed to cor­ them. For the first time a special, publicity, 1924. Olympic winter sports strove and to the preparation of the rect errors - which are human. We mechanical cancellation was used. for a long time to be accepted, teams, as part of their revenue take pride in having succeeded to The Olympic Winter Games: Though used from December 1923 mostly against Nordic resistance. was ceded to the Organising obtain consensus on Olympic Facts and Stamps to February 1924, only one hundred The Nordic countries, led by IOC Committees. results (1896-1920) amongst lead­ Striving for recognition and Inde­ of items bearing the cancellation member in Sweden Viktor Baick While philately is the second largest ing Olympic historians - for the first pendence survived. wished to protect the Nordic hobby in the world, Olympic time since 1928. Several hundred Skating was one of the sports Games he created as a of Olympic Winter Games inscribed in the sports programme Prague 1925. Winter sports were winter counterpart to the medallists have been of the 1894 Olympic Congress in at last recognised as a full Olympic Olympic Games (1901, immortalised on stamps, Paris. It was not part of the 1896 partner. The 1924 Chamonix 1905, 1909, 1913, 1917, on postmarks and on and the 1904 Games for climatic reasons and in 1900 as the skating Olympic Week was declared as the 1922 and 1926). /H'il 'yjïJ' ,i( 31" I ]e postal stationery, and they i^\1996/CrJ 1st Olympic Winter Games. The Curiously, when winter 3CI-. SLRLOM MflSCHILE take less space than rink was not finished. Prague Congress gave winter games were accepted, it books!! And above all, let I ^ ^ •' • • • • ffy* « « sports its full independence. The was upon a proposal of us not forget the fun of London 1908. The gold medal won stamps, the postal stationery and the Norwegians! collecting stamps (but also by the skater Nikolai Panin- the special postmarks of the Postal services, and their collectible stamps play a more pertinent role; their venal value). Koromenkln (Russia) was found not insist. A step backwards for winter sports. Still, the gold medal Congress are considered as the effects - philately - were natural they are historical documents, This article is an introduction to the by a member of the Olympic of the art contest, for painting was philatelic counterpart of the and necessary companions to the since they tell us all about the Olympic Winter Games philately. It Collectors Commission, in the awarded to paintings depicting win­ "Declaration of Independence". Olympic Games in general and sports, how they developed, the attempts to briefly describe the his­ vaults of the St. Petersburg Olympic Winter Games in particular. Olympic programme, the hopefuls torical links between philately and Hermitage Museum in 1995. ter sports!! Consecration, consolidation and Postal services were a sine qua non of each participating nation, the these Games. The statistics shown Florence Madeline Cave 'Madge' maturity to the Games: to correspond, to venues, the winners, the cere­ prove what can be done, to write Syers (Great Britain) who won the Antwerp 1920. The IOC Congress St Moritz 1928. The first inde­ invite, to enable participants - ath­ monies and more. The texts on the history with stamps and postmarks. Ladies event, finished second in the in Paris in 1914, drawing up the dif­ pendent Olympic Winter Games. letes, officials or spectators - to postcards sent tell us about what The data are not exhaustive. A cat­ 1902 World Championship open for ferent categories of the Olympic Six sports were inscribed in the write and tell about the Games. really happened, the atmosphere, alogue of all Olympic Winter Games ladles and gentlemen. Part of the programme, classified among optional sports, ice hockey, figure programme, including a five-man Postage stamps and postcards the life of the athletes and more. stamps, blocs and stationery will be Games of the Olympiad, in turn part skating and skiing. That's how fig­ bob race. Sonja Henie, who were the support normally used for The texts confirm and In many ready in 2002; it will be the first uni­ of the Franco-British Exhibition, the placed last four years earlier, won these services. Stamps also con- cases correct the official records. versal stamp catalogue "readable" Figure Skating event was held at ure skating and ice hockey were in 80 81 Source : Bibliothèque du CIO / IOC Library History History Final evolution Squaw Valley 1960. This town did Sponsors used Olympic franking and great popularity lOTGAN OMPIG COMMfTTEE 999 }0±& ^ MORITZ- not exist when the Games were postmarks. t». eL»i<?!SS«E « ! «iTf sst-îf t, t ((•«"JEU* 0 Lï-M ? Jg li ES D-î* i VE ft awarded to it. No bob races - vio­ i^foiuocHi Oi..a?iGi rrt sv V Rs 0 S-rf 0 L '' ¥ P ! •: .V i < r e « 5 i « E s St Moritz 1948. With individual lating the Olympic Charter. Biathlon Sarajevo 1984. Forty-nine nations 4.T. « «R i * n..! 3. 2. I 3 '2 â 1 downhill and slalom competitions in for the first time and, also for the participated, thanks to "Olympic the Alpine events. Two American first time, a non-Scandinavian won Solidarity". Three exhibition events ice hockey teams(!), one of which the Nordic Combination. Another by handicapped skiers. Twenty- was later disqualified by the IOC. first: all gold medals in figure skat­ nine countries issued 264 stamps. Among the demonstration events a ing went to North America. A his­ Yugoslavia's stamp programme Winter Pentathlon. For the first toric success was the US victory in among Japan for the first time, contributed financially to a profit- time, Switzerland issued Olympic the ice hockey tournament. The issued 235 stamps. GlUOCHl 1 making Games. ClBiNVERNO Winter Games stamps. Another number of countries issuing postal Mhu/'d- jou philatelic first were stamps issued items jumped from four in 1956 to Innsbruck 1976. Again after Calgary 1988. The Australian by non-organising countries: 13 in 1960; four were non-partici- Denver renounced. There were two speed skater Colin Victor Coates Austria and (non-participating) pating countries whose inhabitants Olympic flame cauldrons (1964 and demonstrated the "participation Monaco. have never seen snow in their life. 1976) with two final torch runners. spirit" with six Olympic participa­ 40 propaganda and special cancel­ For the last time, an army rifle is tions (as other five men and one Oslo 1952. The torch was lit in lations were used in the USA, two in used in biathlon. Thirty-nine coun­ woman). Demonstration sports the figure skating competition. had "sticks". We know from the Morgedal, the hometown of the Canada, four in Austria, one in tries issued 327 stamps. included three freestyle, nine short Tlie Swiss ice liockey team non accepted designs that it was famous first skier Nordheim Germany, two in Soviet Russia and track and two curling events. inciuded "Bibi" Torriani, won a supposed to be a "jumper". It (Teiemark). A ladies' 10 km cross­ one in Togo! Lake Placid 1980. Eric Heiden Exhibition programme included five bronze medal (he wili get the could not be downhill or slalom as country race and giant slalom were (United States) won five gold events for handicapped skiers.