Jim Thorpe

[runred41]

A little old and a little new again.

National Police Gazette November 2, 1912:



Various newspaper clippings, postcards, and Dubble Bubble Strip:



Various 1912 Olympics souvenirs/badges:





Giant Postcard and Memorial Dedication Program:





Reprint team photo and Nicaragua Picture:



U.S. Olympic Bank Note Engraving/Thorpe Memorial PC/Coin Cards:



Era Postcards of places in Oklahoma where Thorpe frequented as a young person and Haskell, KS where he attended in 1898. Born in 1887 according to his baptismal certificate yet he claims he was born in 1888. He was born in Bellemont , Oklahoma. Generally, Prague is considered his home town but he also referenced Shawnee, Oklahoma as his home town. These postcards show what the places looked like while he was frequenting those towns:





Belgium Sportsalbum...shows results of the 1912 Olympics:








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[Michael B]

I commented in the postcard thread that I have a few photos of Native American Olympians in my archives. There was a reply that someone would like to see some of them. I thought this may be the appropriate place to show them. I have the 1912 Olympics postcard of Thorpe, but it was already posted so no reason for me to post mine. I picked it up in Sweden from someone who had multiples of almost every card in the set. I have also seen the complete set of cards in a display at the Gothenburg Sports Museum which has one of the largest collections of 1912 Olympics memorabilia. The collection was amassed by 1952 and 1956 Olympian Lars Hindmar. I met him at the World Olympic Collector's Fair in Gothenburg where he was still purchasing items at 94 years of age. As I collect Olympic photographs and autographs I generally pass on other items unless they are part of a lot that has photos or the price is ridiculously low and I can make a few dollars to purchase more for my archives. I have a large number of photos of Pre-WWI Olympians and many more of Pre-WWII Olympians. If I have one and someone would like to see a scan let me know. Anyway here are some interesting ones:

Amasoli Patasoni - A Zuni from New Mexico. He went to Haskell Institute in Kansas. Competed in the 10,000m and Cross Country Race at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp. Very little is known about him, not even his date of death. Two photos from 1920 and one from 1922

Frank Mount Pleasant - Member of the Tuscarora Nation in New York. He attended The Carlisle School and Dickinson College. He competed in the long jump and triple jump at the 1908 Olympics. He coached football at the Indiana Normal School, now Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 1911-1913. Photo shows him competing in the long jump at the 1908 Olympic Trials.

Wilson 'Buster' Charles - Member of the Oneida Tribe. He attended Haskell Institute where he played on the football and basketball teams. He competed in the decathlon at the 1932 Olympics. Photo shows him competing in the Olympics.

Clarence 'Taffy' Abel - Member of the Soo Nation. He won a silver medal in ice hockey at the 1924 Olympics. He is also the only Native American to carry the United States flag at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics. He would join the NHL and become the first American Olympian to win the Stanley Cup when he did it with the New York Rangers in 1928. Photo shows him in 1924 with the Olympic team manager.

Lewis Tewanima - A member of the Hopi Nation. He attended The Carlisle School and was a classmate of Jim Thorpe. He competed in the 1908 and 1912 Olympics. He won a silver medal in the 10,000m in Stockholm. The first photo shows him with a group of U.S. athletes on their way to Stockholm in 1912. He can be seen in the back row. Sitting in the front row with a stuffed bear in one hand and a cigarette in the other is Howard Drew. One of the great early Black runners. He would twice set a world record in the 100 yard dash. The person sitting two away from his right appears to be Andrew Sockalexis, though I cannot confirm as I do not own a photo of him. The second photo shows him leading in the final of the 10,000 meter race.

Lastly a Culver Archive reprint of Thorpe from the Olympic Meet in New York, June 12, 1912 at Highland Park.

[Jobu]

Great thread! I have three things to add:

• 1922-23 Type 1 photo of Jim Thorpe, Joe Guyon, Elmer Busch, and Peter Calac from their brief time on the Oorang Indians
• RPPC of Elmer Busch from his time at Carlisle
• Photo of Thorpe with the Giants - not sure of the type

[Michael B]

Runred41 - The item from Nicaragua is called a souvenir sheet to stamp collectors. The reprint photo you have with Thorpe just above the souvenir sheet was taken June 12, 1912 at the Olympic tune up meet at Highland Park in New York City.. This was a Bain News Service photo. I have the right and left continuations of this photo. There are four members of the New York Athletic Club to the left of Thorpe. The two in the middle are brothers Ben Adams and Platt Adams. They both won medals in Stockholm. Other athletes in this photo are Hal Heiland, Xavier Athletic Club, on the far right, George Horine, Olympic Club, next to him, Tell Berna, Cornell, second from the left and Walter McClure, Multnomah Athletic Club, third from the left.

[runred41]

Originally Posted by Michael B

Runred41 - The item from Nicaragua is called a souvenir sheet to stamp collectors. The reprint photo you have with Thorpe just above the souvenir sheet was taken June 12, 1912 at the Olympic tune up meet at Highland Park in New York City.. This was a Bain News Service photo. I have the right and left continuations of this photo. There are four members of the New York Athletic Club to the left of Thorpe. The two in the middle are brothers Ben Adams and Platt Adams. They both won medals in Stockholm. Other athletes in this photo are Hal Heiland, Xavier Athletic Club, on the far right, George Horine, Olympic Club, next to him, Tell Berna, Cornell, second from the left and Walter McClure, Multnomah Athletic Club, third from the left.

Thanks for the info! I always wondered about the photo with the track athletes..a type 1 came up for sale 8-12 years ago but just didn’t have the funds. I was selling my major Thorpe items at the time and not buying. Maybe one will come along once again!


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[Michael B]

Another Native American. Tom Longboat, member of the Onondaga Nation in Canada. Won the 1907 Boston Marathon. He was allowed to compete for Canada at the 1908 Olympics despite very questionable amateur status. He would drop out at 20 miles. The postcard shows the marathoners leaving the grounds of Windsor Castle with Longboat (#72) at the lead on the left. Behind him is Dorando Pietri (#19) who was disqualified for being helped across the finish line at Wembley Stadium. This postcard was mailed from London to A. Roy Welton, the fourth place finisher in the race and the runner at the extreme right in the photo. I acquired Welton's 1908 Olympic scrapbooks which included this postcard, his Olympic competitor's numbers, his 1908 Boston Marathon number and 100 pages of newspaper articles on the Olympics.