Vol. 3 No. 6 Track and Field Sports Cards

While looking for a photo of an obscure Norwegian javelin thrower, +Sverre Strandi, I stumbled across the following link that deals in track and field trading cards that date from the present back to the 1880's.

http://www.oddlyquirky.com/trackandfield/cards/cdMtoO.html#c43

I did not know such things existed, but even the title  "Oddly Quirky"  summarizes the character of such cards and their collectors.   I am including a few samples to whet your appetite and perhaps you will go to this site.  These cards were distributed much like baseball cards in the U.K. , Australia, Germany, Holland, and some of the Nordic countries as well as here in the U.S.  Companies that produced them were often cigarette and tobacco, baking goods, candies,  etc.  Many of the pictures of some of the more famous athletes are ones I've never before seen in sports books and exhibits.  I include a few below and will put some on subsequent postings along with our regular comments.  Some of these cards are reprints from much older collections, some are instructional, almost what  you would find in a Boy Scout Manual if you were working on your Broad Jump merit badge.   Do any of our readers collect these?

Charly Paddock   American 300 meter world recordholder in 33.2     Produced in Germany, by Abdulla Rekord Cigarettes



American card circa 1990.  Where did you go to get these things? I think I ran against George on this track in Tuscon in 1963.  

Of course you recognize ++Ron Clarke on this Spanish? card.  If you are a track freak you would know the second runner. It also mentions Clarke carried the olympic flame in 1956 in Melbourne.

Verrry British production

You could get this for 2 deutsch marks paid through your post office bank account.

Bravour Cigarettes will stunt your growth.

         Eddie Tolan double gold medalist at Los Angeles and looking chique in those white shoes and U. of  Michigan vest.  This company is also touting their album and that you can get 10, 25, or 50 cards in teh Mratti Privat brand of cigarette.

German cigarette brand called Bulgaria, probably close to Turkish tobacco.  +Nurmi referred to as the Iron Finn (eiserne Finne)

German 100 meter Champ  +Erich Borchmeiner  and one of Hitler's secret 100 meter dudes.

Peter Koelln-haferflocken is....a brand of Oatmeal "only in the blue pack"



Rosa Grosse saw little hope in becoming a cheerleader and so turned to playing the game.



+Georg Lammers 1928 German Olympic sprinter brought to you by Three Bells egg noodles and macaroni

           All you need to know about the history of the German 4x400 prior to WWI brought to you by the friendly folks at Erdal-Kwak  shoe and floorwax. 

                           You too can learn to appreciate the long jump thanks to Erdal Kwak



Finish of the Germany women's 800 meter championship in 1927.  The flower of German Youth
A new world record of 2:23.7 by Fraulein Batschauer of the Phoenix club in Karlsruhe.  Second was Fraulein Spangenberg of Sport Club Apolda in 2:26.3



Need we say more?