Cancellation Fun in Canada

Hundreds of olympic fans filled the central post office of Vancouver in order to cancel whatever they could cancel; post cards, envelopes, and almost anything that was made of paper!  Long high tables were set up in the main entrance area of the office.  Excited stamp collectors were permitted total freedom to cancel...almost anything.  They stood and canceled then moved slowly around the table to access all the designs for every winter sport as well as opening ceremony and closing ceremony.  Happy people meeting each other and chatting and exchanging olympic experiences as they canceled away and politely made room for curious newcomers.  

Something easy to transport home to family and friends to share a bit of the Olympics for no cost at all.

So for those of you on budget, take note : )  !!!

Art and the Olympic Games, Postal Stamps

There are thousands of various Olympic stamps from many countries.  They depict a variety of Olympic icons; athletes in action, logos, Olympic rings, Olympic coins, venue architecture, the Olympic flame, the Olympic flag, the Olympic torch, historic Olympic figures, and of course, the whimsical Olympic mascots!  

Quite often they include an object of cultural importance of each host country.  Occasionally a series of stamps would feature the entire Olympic Park or Olympic Village.

During the last twelve years or so, anyone who wanted their own photo made into a fun souvenir stamp of the Olympics could do so. Neat, aye?

A few of my favorites:

The Olymphilex designs in Australia 2000 including the Opera House

A large five-sided stamp of the famous Bird's Nest, 2008 

A large book "One World One Dream" containing a series of Beijing stamps

The Greek Discus Thrower issued in Athens and during the Centennial Games 

The Sidney 45 cent stamp with a collage of the Acropolis, the Olympic flame and flag  

The entire Olympic Park in a series of connected stamps from Munich, 1972

Art and the Olympic Games, Postal Designs

Am I a serious stamp collector? No.  But with a background in technology, fine arts, eleven olympics, and my Munich '72 experience, how could I not have great appreciation for postal art and collect a bit.  

Some of the finest artists and illustrators in the world design olympic stamps.

I mentioned my appreciation for the design of the Mexico '68 logo in a prior post.  (Which, by the way, was similar to the design for one of Microsoft's first logos after the games. Might possibly be the same artist. )  I began looking closely at stamps during my work with CBS News in Mexico City.  Then, in Munich, low and behold, i became "Mama Graf's" assistant for her international house on WilhelmStrasse in the fabulous Schwabing district of Munich.  Now there was the stamp collecting guru!  She would point out designs, and in instill in me a deep appreciation.  She would carefully arrange her stamps, the beautifully designed stamps of Germany, on her envelopes and post them to me in the USA during the post olympic years.  Mama Graf, Elisabeth Graf, would tell me not to drop my cards in a post box, she would head me to the post office for a proper cancelation.

Among my favorites...

Art and the Olympic Games, Olympic Parks

Artsy Parks.   The parks throughout Sydney, Barcelona, and Los Angeles were exciting, Beijing's was massive and colorful (contained the awesome and famous bird's nest and cube), Atlanta's had fountains of fun, Old Town Montreal, Whistler, Mexico City and Park City Utah were incredibly festive but...for me, two parks were true WORKS OF ART, Athens and Munich.

A large pool of water reflected and magnified the splendor for crowds as they entered the Athens Olympic Park.  Animated moving walls where projected video delighted the crowds as they walked to and from their venues.  In Munich a master plan of venues where sidewalks gradually widened and swirled us around our olympic wonderland.  Interactive continuous music along Theatrestrasse, huge dramatic, beautifully functional tent like structures above our heads gave us shade for comfort yet light for delight!

Art and the Olympic Games, Tee Shirts and Logos

Such a delightful part of the Olympic Games...art!

I'll begin by continuing one of the threads from a previous post.  When I opened that drawer of old Olympic tee shirts upon my return from New Zealand, paused, smiled and thought of all the great art that is, for me, such an exciting part of the games.  The Mexco 68 tee shirt is one of my favorites.

Multiple lines were incorporated in the font of the logo for Mexico 68 which was everywhere.  While working for CBS News at the Mexico Olympics large signs with a P for Prensa guided us to the proper gate.  Again multiple lines incorporated in the design, stood out from all the rest, and were easily recognizable, and timing was tight in between venues.

Logos first seemed just simply interesting, well designed, unique and often colorful.  As the olympic days unfolded those designs became symbols, profound symbols that could light up the olympic fire within.  

Monthly Posts will now be Weekly until London 2012!

Now that 2012 is well underway will post more often to celebrate the olympic spirit.