[Sport; Australia].

Los Angeles 1932 Olympics, Opening [and] Closing Day Official Programs.

Los Angeles: Times Mirror, 1932. First edition. Wraps. A handsome pair of programs for the very first Summer Olympics, the Xth Olympiad in Los Angeles, held in the depths of the Great Depression. Each program with frontispiece portrait of President Herbert Hoover, who did not attend. The programs feature many medal winning Australian athletes, including 15 year old gold medal winner Clare Dennis (1st in the 200 meter breast stroke, p24); and silver medal winner Philomena Mealing (100 meter back stroke); Henry Pearce, winning by 1.1 seconds over American William Miller (1st in Single Sculls); and Edgar Gray (he won Australia's first cycling gold in the 1000m cycle, p22).

Fewer than half of the 1928 athletes could afford to attend; as a result some events, like soccer, had to be canceled. Other countries sent their athletes with goods for trade, rather than with money; the Brazilians for example brought coffee beans and the Cubans brought sugar.

More than 100,000 spectators paid $3 each to attend the Opening Ceremony at the Coliseum, then known as Olympic Stadium. The US won 103 out of 346 medals with athletes such as Eddie Tolan (pictured in the closing program) setting records in the 100 and 200 meter sprints. Mildred "Babe" Didrikson (also pictured here) won gold medals in hurdles and javelin throw.

4to, 32pp, illustrated with b&w printed photographs. Color pictorial wraps. A few pencil notations recording the progress of different riders in the section titled "Equestrian Sports" at p6. Very good overall. Item #23662

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