The 1932 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles, were the first modern Olympics to turn a profit, of well over a million dollars, and this was during the Great Depression. Interestingly, the next Olympics to turn a profit would be the 1984 Summer Olympics, again held in Los Angeles. The '84 Games were the first privately financed Olympics; but for the '32 Games, the voters of California actually approved an Olympic bond of 1 million dollars, unfathomable today. The 1932 Summer Games raised the bar for Olympics organization; prior to it, the Stockholm 1912 Games were considered the first successful modern games. Amsterdam 1928 was considered a very successful Olympics, and Los Angeles wanted to one-up Amsterdam.
10th Street, a major thoroughfare in Los Angeles, was renamed Olympic Boulevard in honor of the 1932 Olympics, it being the
Tenth Olympiad of the modern era. LA was awarded the 1932 Games as a consolation for not having won the 1924 Games; Amsterdam had also bid for 1924, but Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics, wanted Paris to host 1924 because of the embarrassment that was the 1900 Paris Olympics. So, it was agreed that Amsterdam would host 1928 and LA, 1932.
It was at the LA 1932 Games that the 3-step platform was introduced for the medal ceremonies, with the playing of the gold medalist's national anthem and the raising of the national flags of the winners. Also, it was at these Games that the medals ceremonies were done following the conclusion of the event. Prior to 1932, all of the medals were handed to the athletes during the closing ceremony; and since the previous summer Games lasted for several months, some athletes went home after the conclusion of their events, so they wouldn't even be present to receive their medals during the closing ceremony.
From sccog.org
From sccog.org
All pics from lapl.org unless otherwise denoted.
So that Angelenos would catch "Olympic fever," the LA Times sponsored four annual marathons leading up to the 1932 Games. Held in June, the 26-mile, 385-yard race was run through the streets of downtown and out through the “suburbs” of the Wilshire District. In 1931 the marathon winner was Fred Ward of the Millrose Athletic Club, New York.
I really love the old ACME semaphore traffic signals.
The Olympics arrive! The 1932 Summer Games were the first to be held for 2 weeks. Prior to that, the Olympics were held over a period of months. The 1928 Amsterdam Games were held from May 17 - August 12. The 1932 Summer Games were held from July 30 - August 14.
Here are 5th and Spring Streets in downtown Los Angeles during the 1932 Games.
Welcoming party for the Czech athletes, at the Santa Fe La Grande Station. Remember, LA's Union Station wasn't opened until 1939; I think there used to be two different train stations in downtown LA back then. And California was still a relatively isolated place back then; athletes arrived in Los Angeles via ship at the port in San Pedro, or they took trains from the east. Many European athletes took ships to New York, then took the trains to Los Angeles.
Czech athletes greeted at City Hall. A large crowd, made up of city leaders and local Czech residents dressed in traditional costume, has gathered outside City Hall to greet Czech athletes who have come to Los Angeles for the 1932 Olympics. Mayor John C. Porter meets with Czech Consul, identified as "Dr. Janovsky", near the center of the image.
Here's the Indian team on their ship, waiting to disembark at the Port of Los Angeles:
From bharatiyahockey.org
The opening ceremonies. I think the architectural style of the Coliseum was very fitting for these Games, having a classical and Art Deco-ish look... and almost Fascist, somehow. A foreshadowing of things to come? But then a lot of Fascist-era architecture looks Deco to me, and vice-versa.
The LA Olympic organizing committee created the first Olympic Village. Prior to 1932, it was left up to each participating country's NOC to provide housing for its athletes. Many were booked into hotels; some stayed on their ships at port. I read that Paris 1924 had a proto-Olympic village, which were temporary bungalows set up in case athletes had no housing, but LA was the first to provide housing for all participating athletes. They were provided lots of amenities; free food, movies/entertainment at a theater in the village, a post office... these were all in temporary structures, in the Baldwin Hills section of Los Angeles, torn down after the Games ended. And only men stayed at the Olympic Village. The female athletes were housed at the swank Chapman Park Hotel on Wilshire Boulevard (which was demolished in the 1960s). But the women were also treated with free meals, mail drop-off and delivery, common lounge areas and entertainment. Hollywood celebs would even visit the athletes. I think I read that it wasn't until Melbourne 1956 that the Olympic Village became co-ed.
Here's the main entrance to the Olympic Village.
From healeyandwise.co.uk
Views of the Olympic village.
From sccog.org
Here's a wrestling team mugging for the cameras in front of their cottages:
Here are the female athletes lounging at the Chapman Park Hotel:
Exterior shot of the Chapman Park Hotel circa late 1930s:
Here's 17 year-old American Dorothy Poynton, executing a perfect dive at the Olympic Swim Stadium, which she would win a gold medal for.
Here's Buster Crabbe, American swimmer and future movie actor.
Another shot of the swim stadium. You can see the Coliseum adjacent to it.
From ctvolympics.ca
The swim stadium still exists, except now it's been converted into an indoor community pool, something they did in the early part of this decade. The Art Deco Moderne-styled grandstands now serve as the entrance, and I think it's been given landmark status. Here's a contemporary photo of it:
From flickr.com
The eight-oar championship drew an overwhelming crowd of 150,000 to the banks of the Long Beach Marine Stadium. For the climax of the Regatta, the American team beat Italy across the finish line - by a fifth of a second. Look at those oil wells! Now it's all condos around the LB Marine Stadium.
Tandem Cycling. Taking 1st place in the bicycle racing is the French tandem on right, and in 2nd place, the British tandem on left. A temporary cycling track was installed inside the Rose Bowl in Pasadena to serve as the velodrome.
The Wrestling venue, Grand Olympic Auditorium. This was also the venue for boxing. This building still exists, except now it's a Korean Mega-Church or something.
Lt. Pahud de Mortanges of the Netherlands, a veteran and gold medal winner from the previous two Olympics, scores his record fourth gold medal on his horse “Macroix” at the equestrian event held at the Riviera Country Club in the Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles.
Here's a shot of the Coliseum, being set up for another equestrian event. I'm not familiar with equestrian events, but I know that during the Olympics, they are often held at two different sites. I guess there are different types of courses?
From fei.org
In front of a suspenseful crowd, Japanese pole vaulter Shuhei Nishida conquers 14 feet to win the silver medal.
Canada's gold medalist in boxing was Horace “Lefty” Gwynne who survived a fierce battle against Germany's Hans Ziglarski (right) in the bantamweight boxing final, held at the Grand Olympic Auditorium.
Former California Governor C.C. Young congratulates James Bausch on his superb all-around abilities.
Dallas Bixler, a resident of Buena Park, California, received the gold medal for this remarkable performance on the horizontal bar. EH remembers that his medal was awarded to him hours after his event because there were too few people in the stands when he won. I think it's interesting that the gymnastics events were held in the Coliseum. In fact, I don't think it wasn't until London 1948 that gymnastics started being held in indoor arenas.
Closing ceremonies. See you in 1936 in Berlin!
Prev
Linear Mode
