C1920 19” Tall Hurdler Statue Pick-Up – Belonged to Peter Ueberroth

[CarltonHendricks]

Above is a 19” tall c1920 statue of a hurdler I just picked up day before yesterday…Sculpted by Demetre Chiparus, who is a huge name in Art Deco sculpture…No doubt it was sculpted and cast in France…I got it on eBay…shipping was $90.00 and the seller gal lived in Encinitas CA, near San Diego…She sets up at the Rose Bowl flea in Pasadena regularly….so to avoid any chance of damage in shippment I drove 7 hours (one way/14 hours round trip) and met her there at the Rose Bowl and picked it up in person…In the listing description it said it once had a “tag” that said "From the Dames De Champagne to Peter Ueberroth for his assistance with the Olympics"….but that the tag had been lost….

After setting up the rendezvous to pick it up the seller said she would look for the “tag”…When I went to pick it up she had found it!!....only it wasn't a paper tag like I expected....but an engraved metal plate...didn’t say Olympics but did say Peter Ueberroth…the Los Angeles Dames De Champagne appears to be a group of ladies who put on charity events…Sounds like wealthy socialite trophy wives….typically probably all belong to the exclusive Cal Club in Los Angeles….Seller said got it from a lady who worked for Ueberroth…I speculate Ueberroth’s wife probably wanted it out of the house and he gave it to an employee…eBay seller said she bought it about 20 years ago at the “employee’s” garage sale…eBay seller said she was recently cleaning out a storage area and came across it and put it on eBay…

And from that long bumpy road it fell into the hands of probably the most appreciative person it could have gone to….me!...Carlton is a very happy camper…

I saw one of these in Woodchuck Antiques in San Francisco about 15 years ago…I couldn’t afford it but never forgot it…years later I told the dealer Chuck Morgenstern I wish I’d have gotten it. He said the person who bought it may sell it someday…I told him to let me know if it became available…and for the last few years I would bring it up to remind him…Interestingly the one Chuck had was in the exact same condition…in that the patina had worn off like mine…

Below are shots of it installed....goes perfect with a my 4ft wide print "The High Hurdles" by Hibbard V.B. Kline, seen below, last photo....which I picked up at the 2007 National from Kevin Bronson.

What's starting to sink in now is that Peter Ueberroth not only served as the sixth Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1984 to 1989....but was also President and Chief Eexecutive Officer of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee responsible for staging and operating the 1984 Games, he holds a place in Olmympic history nearly as influential as Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics...see Peter Ueberroth's bio below the last photo.

Another interesting aspect is that Peter Ueberroth used to come to the hotel I work at for a celebrity golf tournament...the same one Joe DiMaggio used to come to....which I wrote about....It's been a long time but I seem to recall delivering a fax or message to him at his room...I think I remember him coming to the door and me handing it to him...Too bad we didn't cut to the chase right then...he could have gave me the statue right there and cut out all the middle men!











BIOGRAPHY OF PETER UEBERROTH, from baseball-almanac.com
Unlike several other commissioners, Peter Ueberroth had an extensive background in both professional and international sports. After lettering in football, baseball and swimming, he was accepted to San Jose State University on an athletic scholarship and lettered in water polo. In 1956, he tried out for the United States Olympic team but was unable to make the cut. Disappointed, he returned to school and completed his education in 1959 with a degree in business. Following his graduation, Ueberroth went on to the travel industry and eventually became a vice president and shareholder in Trans International Airlines at the tender age of twenty-two. He continued to excel at Trans International until 1963 when he founded his own travel company, First Travel Corporation that he later sold in 1980 when it was the second largest travel business in North America.

Always an athlete at heart, Ueberroth went on to serve as President and Chief Eexecutive Officer of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee responsible for staging and operating the 1984 Games. A tremendously successful planner, his management led to a post-event surplus of nearly $250 million, which was used to support national youth sports activities.

In 1984, during a huge Major League Baseball labor conflict (in which the Umpires Union threatened to strike the post-season) Ueberroth was elected commissioner by a unanimous vote of the twenty-six club owners. Immediately after taking office, he was able to arbitrate the disagreement and had the umpires back to work before the League Championship Series had ended. He was also able to act behind the scenes to limit a players' strike to one day before a new labor agreement was worked out with the Players Association.

Before leaving office, Ueberroth was able to compile an amazing legacy in which he was able to establish greater awareness of crowd control and alcohol management within ballparks, a successful and vigilant anti-drug campaign, an ever-increasing attendance record and Major League Baseball's first profitable year since 1973. His last task was the negotiation and agreement of a whopping four-year, $1.1 billion contract with CBS, and a four-year $400 million national cable deal with ESPN. Deciding not to seek a second term, Ueberroth helped promote the election of his replacement, A. Bartlett Giamatti.
Courtesy www.baseball-almanac.com

[Nashvol]

It's baseball only for me, but that is a beautiful piece and great pickup for you. Very nice!

[71buc]

Originally Posted by Nashvol

It's baseball only for me, but that is a beautiful piece and great pickup for you. Very nice!

Very attractive item great pick up!

[timzcardz]

That is an amazing piece!

And I love your stories that go along with the things that you collect..

Thanks for sharing.

[slidekellyslide]

Great trophy....do you ever give tours of your house?

[mjkm90]

That is a fantastic piece Carlton. I think it one of my favorites from your collection now!!! You amaze me...you really do

[WillowGrove]

Carlton, I don't know ya but i always find your stuff really interesting. Even i know this one is perfect for your collection!

Congratulations Carlton.

Peter

[stone193]

Incredible piece of art!

Congratulations on your pickup.

[CarltonHendricks]

http://www.sportsantiques.com/c1920_hurdler_statue.htm
Amigos,Thanks for all your positive comments…Not to beat a dead horse but FYI I featured this statue as my latest Sports Antique of the Week on my site, link above…plus in the same story I posted 160 photos of what I saw at the April 14th Rose Bowl Flea market…The first page of the story is pretty much the same verbiage as this thread…the second page is fresh though…and discusses an interesting huge Harley Davidson sign plucked out of the Rose Bowl and shipped overseas…

[martindl]

Always great to see your travels Carlton. Some great things in the Flea photos.

What was the story on the 8 1 6 baseballs?

I'd love those stage lights.

[CarltonHendricks]

Originally Posted by martindl

Always great to see your travels Carlton. Some great things in the Flea photos.

What was the story on the 8 1 6 baseballs?

I'd love those stage lights.

Martin,
Oh yeah...those baseballs...I saw those right about the end and zeroed right in...Seller said he'd had them about 20 years...didn't know what they were for...said bought in...I think he said an estate sale in CT....or somewhere in New England....made out of galvanized sheet...looked maybe 30's...I think they were like $100.00 or $175.00 for all....they were cool but just couldn't get behind them...What was I gonna do...lay out $150.00 and store them like he had for 20 years...then bring them out to the Rose Bowl again LOL...I suppose there may have been other numbers originally...You can see the cloth and wire handles on the back of one....so they may have been used to display the score....maybe by some mascot babes or something...just don't know....very folk artish...I liked them but just couldn't ascertain the meaning behind them...

Yeah I see stage lights like those now and then at fleas in California...especially in So Cal..

[yanks12025]

Were those two bats anything good? The one looks like it has a thick handle on it.