POSTER STAMPS AND LABELS OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES

      INTRODUCTION

      STATISTICS

      UNSOLVED MYSTERIES

        SUMMER GAMES
1894 - Modern Games Founded
1896 - I Olympiad - Athens
1900 - II Olympiad - Paris
      - Vignettes of the 1900 Paris Expo
1904 - III Olympiad - St. Louis
1906 - Intercalated Games - Athens
1908 - IV Olympiad - London
1912 - V Olympiad - Stockholm
1913 - Berlin prepares for 1916 games
1914 - 20th Anniversary of Rebirth of Games
1916 - VI Olympiad - Berlin
1920 - VII Olympiad - Antwerp
1924 - VIII Olympiad - Paris
      - Post Cards
1928 - IX Olympiad - Amsterdam
1932 - X Olympiad - Los Angeles
1936 - XI Olympiad - Berlin
1940 - XII Olympiad - Tokyo
      - XII Olympiad - Helsinki
      - New Zealand Centennial Games
1944 - XIII Olympiad - London
      - German POW Games
1948 - XIV Olympiad - London
1952 - XV Olympiad - Helsinki
1956 - XVI Olympiad - Melbourne
      - XVI Olympiad - Stockholm
1960 - XVII Olympiad - Rome

1956 - VII Winter Games - Cortina d'Ampezzo

Official Poster and Emblem for 1956 Winter Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo

CLICK HERE for a pdf of the DuBois introduction to the 1956 - CORTINA D'AMPEZZO pages.

The following poster stamps were issued for the 1956 Winter Games:

Click on image below to open an enlarged version in a separate window/tab
Click on the DuBois number beneath the image to display technical data about that label.

      SOLVED MYSTERIES!

      STILL MISSING

      ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

      UPDATE HISTORY

       SUMMER GAMES
1964 - XVIII Olympiad - Tokyo
1968 - XIX Olympiad - Mexico City
1972 - XX Olympiad - Munich

       WINTER GAMES
1924 - I Winter Games - Chamonix
1928 - II Winter Games - St Moritz
1932 - III Winter Games - Lake Placid
1936 - IV Winter Games - Garmisch-Partenkirchen
1940 - V Winter Games - Sapporo
      - V Winter Games - St Moritz
      - V Winter Games - Garmisch-Partenkirchen
1944 - V Winter Games - Cortina d'Ampezzo
1948 - V Winter Games - St Moritz
1952 - VI Winter Games - Oslo
1956 - VII Winter Games - Cortina d'Ampezzo
1960 - VIII Winter Games - Squaw Valley
1964 - IX Winter Games - Innsbruck
1968 - X Winter Games - Grenoble
1972 - XI Winter Games - Sapporo

       OTHER TOPICS
      - U.S. OLYMPIC SHIELD DECALS
      - Workers' Olympics

   

#1956-W-01
DuBois listing:

1. "VII GIOCHI OLIMPICI D'INVERNO" above; "CORTINA d'AMPEZZO 1956" below; texts are in a 2.2mm wide circumference of a 22mm diameter circle. Vignette, within circle: a five-pointed, white star above Olympic rings in their usual multicolors (and interlaced as on official Olympic flag); three mountains, with snow below the resort village of Cortina d'Ampezzo, below the mountains, with town-hall steeple in foreground. 30x39mm (overall, including perforations), perf 10, mountains are brown-red, text is black, background is dark blue ... $3.00

Label No. 1 is almost an exact copy of a 70x100cm poster designed by Franco Rondinelli of Milan, Italy. To quote "Olympism Through Posters" published by the International Olympic Committee "The site of the organizing town appears beneath the five Olympic rings, which, with the star, form the emblem of the Italian National Olympic Committee." The print run consisted of 11,000 posters, 100,000 postcards, 25,000 sheets of 20 especially designed stamps.

   

#1956-W-02
DuBois listing:

2. "VII GIOCHI OLIMPICI INVERNALI" above; "CORTINA 1956" below; texts are in a 2.8mm wide circumference of a 26mm circle. Vignette, within circle: similar to No.1 but no star above rings and only snow at base of mountains. 35mm square, perf 13.5, mountains are light brown-red, text is black, background is blue, border is white (Label No.1 has no such border, its dark blue background extends into the perforations) ... $2.00

Note: Text-circles of both Nos.1 & 2 are white, and have angular lines & points projecting outward, also colored white. The outer part of the circle of No.1 has a black outline and the outer projections are also shaded black.

Sheets: Both Nos.1 & 2 come in sheets of 20 (4x5 and 5x4, resp.) Margins of both have same following texts:
Left side, Spanish: "VII JUEGOS OLIMPICOS INVERNALES"
Right side, German: "VII OLIMPISCHE WINTERSPIELE"
Top, French: "VII JEUX OLYMPIQUES D'HIVER"
Bottom, English: "VII OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES"

All texts read "inward." The black text-letters are 5mm high. Perforations: Both sheets have PM4S (all labels are thus fully perforated).
No.1 - perforations run completely through margin.
No.2 - perforations run into the margin but do not cross completely.



#1956-W-03 to 10


#1956-W-04 to 11

DuBois listing:

Esperanto Labels:

3. "VIIa VINTRAJ SPORTAJ LUDOJ" below, in panel; a green star to left of panel text, with "ESPERANTO" curved above it. Vignette: Olympic rings "CORTINA (ITALIO)" in upper left corner; "1956" & artist'a signature in lower right corner; skis, ski-poles, and a small flag stuck in the snow on a hill. 36x53mm, perf 11 and imperf ... $2.00

4. Same panel text and star as No.3. Vignette: Olympic rings in upper left corner; "1956 KORTINO (ITALIO)" in upper right corner; artist's signature in lower right corner; a slalom skier is depicted.

5 to 10 are like No.4 but depict the following sports:
5. A ski-jumper,
6. A skier,
7. A four-man bobsled,
8. An ice-hockey player,
9. A pair of figure-skaters,
10. 2 speed-skaters.
11. Same as No.3 but "KORTINO" instead of "CORTINA"

(Esperanto text: Cortina, Italy, VIIth Winter Sports Games)

Colors of Nos. 3 to 10 (1st color = sky, 2nd. color = design & texts):
a)red - black,
b)orange - black,
b)yellow- black,
d)lt. blue - black ... $2.00ea
Nos. 3 to 10 are se-tenant on a sheet of eight(4x2).

Colors of Nos. 11 & 4 to 10:
a)red - black,
b)orange - black,
c)yellow - black,
d)lt. blue - blue ... $2.00ea
Nos. 11 & 4 to 10 are se-tenant on a sheet of 8(4x2).

Other Sheet Information: Sheet with Nos. 3 to 10 is First Issue (CORTINA spelling on first label). Sheet with Nos. 11 & 4 to 10 is Second Issue (KORTINO spelling on all labels of sheet).

Both types of sheet are PM4S with perforations passing through selvage. Text on selvage, below 10th label, states "PRESIS: E. MORENO BARCELONA (HISPANIO)" which is Esperanto for "Printer: E. Moreno, Barcelona, Spain."


SOME OF THE SHEETLETS SHOWN HERE APPEAR TO BE IMPERFORATE.

DuBois' statements about the colors do not agree with what I have seen.

First - Look at the bottom two sheetlets at left - neither has "CORTINO" on the first stamp, but one is blue and blue, while the other has blue and black. So it seems to me that the sheetlets with 11 & 4-10 occur in all five color combinations.

Second, look at the image at top right - several of the stamps have a sky of greenish blue with black for the design and texts. So are there SIX color combinations?

Finally, the item below. I do not know where I got it. What is it? A proof? A printer's souvenir?

Can anyone provide other varieties?

6/19/19 - below, another color variation, and a registration shift. The outfit that printed the Esperanto labels seems to have liked to play around!


#1956-W-12
DuBois listing:

12. A Fund Label: "D" in a banner at upper left; "50" at upper right; CORTINA below. Vignette: an acrobatic, female figure skater. 27x31mm, perf 1l.5, violet ... $1.00

(This label may be one of a series, additional information is solicited from the reader)

1/21/17 - Mystery solved - this is indeed part of a series (note the "2" beneath the "D"), a set issued by the Sportverein Dynamo in East Germany in 1964. See full set on the 1964 Tokyo page, items 1964-x24 thru x34.

#1956-W-13
DuBois listing:

13. "TUKEKAA HIIKTAJIEMME OLYMPIAVALMENNUSTA" above a hand with a torch; below: "VII GIOCHI OLIMPICI INVERNALI CORTINA d'AMPEZZO 1956 PAULIG" - to the side of the picture: "TUKKUKAU PPOJEN OY KESKISISALTO 50 KPF" 33x47mm, an imperf matchbox label, multicolored .... Rare

(Text is Finnish and Italian)

See similar labels 1956-56 and 57 on the 1956-Melbourne page.

 

#1956-W-14

DuBois listing:

No.14: The following decal type of label was issued for the 1956 Winter Games. Cortina is the site of a noted ski resort, located in the Italian Alps known as the Dolomites. This multicolored decal type of label has the Olympic rings in their correct colors and in the "original" interlacing pattern. That pattern was changed in 1957 to the interlacing used today.

See addenda pages 277B & 277C for two similar decals by the same printer.

The back of this decal is also shown. It shows, in four steps, how to apply the decal; and, there is an "ELEPHANT" logo below:

Physical Data:
Text states, "CORTINA Dolomiti M.1200 A 2300" below vignette; (Cortina is dark blue; other text black) "OLYMPIADI 1956" below vignette-text, white on a red semicircular band. "2168" as black text at lower left of vignette; probably a printer's identification number. Vignette measures 51 x 80mm; overall measurements can vary as this decal appears to be cut from a "sheet of decals."

NOT IN DUBOIS

#1956-W-x1

A decal, multicolored, "OLIMPIADE 1956 INVERNIALE CORTINA" -
in small type at bottom "Vetrofanie Oppi. Edizioni Denna Cortina"

#1956-W-x2

A decal, multicolored, "1956 OLIMPIADE INVERNALE CORTINA"
tiny named views inset in the rings, artist and printer names at bottom.

#1956-W-x3

A hotel label, light blue background, red and orange design,
"ITALY DOLOMITI Misurina - 1800-2300 "
Olympics rings and "1956"
"GRANDE ALBERGO DELLE ALPI ALBERGO MISURINA"

06/16/2020 - I thought this was a postcard, but Philippe Pavard now owns a copy, and tells us it is a gummed label - Overall: 87x127 mm, Image: 79x119 mm

THANKS, PHILIPPE!

#1956-W-x4

A set of four Ukrainian Exile Underground Post labels (from an eBay auction, seller says they were issued for 1956 Winter Games, I was able to confirm that HERE - top of page 233)

Rectangular label, border text:

Плекайте український вільний спорт
підпільна пошта українська

Plekayte ukrayins'kyy vil'nyy sport
pidpil'na poshta ukrayins'ka

Make Ukrainian Sport Free
Ukrainian Underground Mail

Vignette in center, downhill skiier, denomination in red at lower left
Colors (border, then vignette): 10 = grey & pale blue, 20 = red & pale blue, 30 = slate & pale orange, 40 = violet & grey.



#1956-W-x5
Gummed luggage label
VII GIOCHI OLIMPICI INVERNALE
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO 1956
(name and address lines)
Cortina d'Ampezzo
CIT - VETTORE OFFICIALE - CIT

CIT = 'Compagnia Italiana Turismo'
'Italian travel company'
Official travel agency for these Games


#1956-W-x9
Cortina d'Ampezzo (Misurina)
Misurina is a lake about five miles northeast of Cortina - some skating events were held there.


#1956-W-x6
stringed luggage label
VII GIOCHI OLIMPICI INVERNALE
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO 1956
(name and address lines)
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO
CIT - VETTORE OFFICIALE - CIT


#1956-W-x10

The two items above are not labels, so a bit peripheral to the topic of these pages, but since they are so closely related to the labels on the left, I think they belong.


#1956-W-x7
size: 3" x 4-1/2"
Decal:
US Olympic shield in top 2/3, rings are red and blue.
"DULUTH 1956 HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES OLYMPIC HOCKEY TEAM" below.

 
#1956-W-x8

10/09/17
"Grand Hotel AMPEZZO" over Olympic rings
"VII GIOCHI OLIMPICI INVERNALI 1956
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO
(7th Winter Olympic Games)

Luggage label - 4.75 x 3.75"

The fact that it exists both with and without the Olympic attribution convinces me this dates from 1956.

#1956-W-x11

10/10/18 - Matchbox label?
Source image below.

#1956-W-x12

11/13/18
From a set of 25 ( CLICK HERE) shown in Phila-Sport magazine. The rest are all for Summer Olympic sports - no dimensions given.

The text running up the left side reads "LEIPZIGER SCHIEBEBILDER - VII Olympiade 1956 - CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, ITALIEN - MELBOURNE AUSTRALIEN" which tramslates "Leipzig decal transfers," ETC.


BELOW, still more decals and stickers, and wrappers for packages of decals
for these Winter Games, all from the incomparable web exhibit of
Mario Capuano
           

           


Italy issued four postage stamps for the 1956 Winter Games.

San Marino issued ten postage stamps for the 1956 Winter Games.


TOP

I am indebted to Robert J DuBois for allowing me to use images and information from his Catalog of Olympic Labels on these web pages.

All text and images are the property of the author. Any errors are his.
REWARD! If you have better or additional information about anything shown or discussed here, please email the author.
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All text Copyright © 2013, William M. Senkus

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Created -- 07/27/2013
Revised -- 06/16/2020