Winner Medals

Participation Medal

An open competition for a commemorative medal was announced by the Organising Committee on April 22nd 1951. By the closing date, Oct. 30th, 35 sketches had been received by the board of judges. The winning design, by the young sculptor Kauko Räsänen, was adopted. The number of commemorative medals struck was 14 000.

(Source document:  Official report 1952, page 111)

Diploma

The judges in a competition for the diploma, which closed on Sept. 15th 1951, found none of the designs submitted sufficiently dignified. The five prize-winners were invited to submit new designs. Of these the one by the artist Rolf Christianson was judged to be the best, and it also won the aproval of the Organising Committee. The diplomas were printed in Finnish and Swedish. Swedes, Danes, Norwegians and members of Finland`s Swedish-speaking population received diplomas with text in Swedish, all other Finnish diplomas. Diplomas were awarded to the six best in each event. The number printed was 1800, and they were forwarded to the respective National Olympic Committees at the end of 1952.

(Source document:   Official Report 1952,  page 111)

Badges

The symbol of the Games, based on the Stadium tower, appeared on the metal badges worn by participants. In the so-called Golden Badge made for the highest dignitaries of the Games and guests of honour the enamel background of the symbol was pale blue; in the silver badges issued to Chefs de Mission, judges, Olympic attaches and leading officials of the Organising Committee the enamel was dark blue. All others wore bronze badges in which only the Olympic rings and Stadium were in colour.

(Source document:   Official Report 1952,  page 111)

Poster

As a means of kindling enthusiasm for the Olympic Games and a reminder of their imminence the poster has its own special mission. The »Paavo Nurmi» poster designed for the 1940 Games by the Finnish artist Ilmari Sysimetsä needed only minor alterations to be suitable again. A new competition in 1950 brought forth 277 designs, not one of which, however, could measure with the »Nurmi» poster.

The seven-colour poster was printed in two sizes and 20 different languages early in 1951 and its distribution abroad begun in March the same year. In Finland the first posters appeared in the summer of 1951 in railway stations, post offices, bus stations and sporting clubs. It was not generally displayed until the spring of 1952, shortly before the Games. The 115 000 copies printed were spread over the different languages as follows:

(Source document:   Official Report 1952, page 113)

Cross and Medal of Merit Olympic Games 1952

By an Executive Order of July 21st 1952 a decoration, the Finnish Olympic Cross of Merit and Medal of Merit, was instituted, to be conferred by the President of the Republic for distinguished services in the XV Olympic Games.

The decoration was to be conferred as follows:
 

Cross of Merit I Class on

-  members of National Olympic Committees
-  a Chief Secretary of a National Olympic Committee or an International Sporting Federation
-  members of the Boards of International Sporting Federations
-  persons of intermediate rank in the Games leadership who have distinguished themselves in the
      organisation of the Games
-  a specially deserving manager of a Finnish Sporting Federation
-  deserving Chairmen of domestic inter-federation committees and chief competition directors
-  Olympic Attaches

-  coaches, trainers and persons who have zealously promoted the training of Finland's team
-  officials of the Organising Committee who have distinguished themselves in the organisation of the
      Games
-  a Manager of a Finnish Sporting Federation
-  officials employed in the Games
-  other persons who have helped forward the work of organisation

In determining the class of decoration established custom and international practice were to be observed
and account taken of a nominee's social status.

The number of decorations conferred was as below:
 

                                                          In Finland                     Abroad
Cross of Merit I Class                           116                             167                 =       283
Cross of Merit II Class                          508                             192                 =       700
Medal of Merit                                    1,732                             268                 =    2,000
 
 
 

(Source document:  Official Report 1952  Helsinki,  page 195)

Postage Stamps

Olympic postage stamps, values 20 and 12 Fmks, were on sale from Nov. 16th 1951. The emblem on the 20-mks stamp, designed by G. A. Jysky, was the Olympic Stadium. On the 12-mks stamp, designed by Aimo Ronkanen, the emblem was a swimmer in the act of diving.

On Feb. 15th 1952 25 and 15 mks stamps were issued, designed by Tapio Wirkkala, the emblems being, respectively, footballers and a runner. Two million stamps were issued for sale of each denomination. In addition 150 000 booklets containing four of all four stamps were printed. The booklets were on sale from May 15th 1952.

A special Olympic printer was used on all competition days for date stamping mail deposited in boxes reserved for the purpose at the General Post Office and the temporary post offices. According to custom, arrangements were made for philatelists to obtain first date-markings.

(Text from Official Report 1952, page 114)

Tickets

Following the usual practice the Organising Committee decided to offer half of the tickets for sale abroad. The uncertain world situation during the years preceding the Games and the inflatory trend evident in Finnish economic life meanwhile made the question of ticket sales extraordinarily difficult and held up important decisions.
At the beginning of 1952 the Ticket Committee expanded into a Ticket Department comprising:
       a Box Office for domestic sales, with sub-offices for allocations, ticket sales
          and mailing and
       a Box Office for sales abroad.

Single and Day Tickets

The bulk of the tickets were for a single occasion. Day tickets were printed solely for athletics, fencing, shooting, the modern pentathlon and equestrian events outside the Olympic Stadium. No series tickets were sold to the public. In the top left corner of the ticket was the symbol of the sport in question, below that the date, the stand and seat number and the price in dollars (on those sold in Finland the price-category only). On the right was a clock-face with the hands set at the time appointed for the event. A plan printed on the back of the ticket showed how the stands could be reached.

Tickets were printed in ten colours as follows:

The idea behind this use of colour was that it would facilitate traffic guidance in the central Olympic area. In practice too much importance was seen to have been attached to traffic. It would have been more appropriate to distinguish differently priced tickets with colours.

Printing

The tickets were printed by the note-printing press of the Bank of Finland on banknote paper with a rose-coloured watermark, which made forgery difficult. Printing began in July 1951 and went on for four months. The note-printing press kept the tickets in its own safe custody, releasing batches for distribution as ordered. Tickets to the preliminary hockey, basketball and football rounds and the extra gymnastics competition on July 19th were printed at private commercial presses immediately before the Games. The Municipality of Hämeenlinna printed additional tickets for the modern pentathlon swimming event. These so-called »occasional tickets» were simpler in design. No tickets were printed for the yachting competitions, as it was decided that no »stands» could be arranged from which spectators could follow the races closely.
 

(Source document:  Official Report 1952, page 164)

Sold Tickets

Vignettes

Picture Postcards

Identity Card

Identity Cards, or Olympic Passports as they were also called, were issued to all persons on official duties or of official status and to all competitors. In view of the favourable experience gained at the London Games the Organising Committee took measures to have the Olympic Identity Card recognised as valid as a travel passport. Negotiations with the Passport Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Aliens Department of the Ministry of the Interior led to positive results. By a Decree issued on Feb. 1st 1952 aliens were permitted to enter Finland and stay in the country between June 1st and Aug. 31st 1952 without visas and Olympic Passports were exempted from visa formalities as from March 1st, from which date their validity was six months. The Card served in lieu of a regular passport only in cases where the government of the country concerned consented to its use as an official travel document and transit visa. This was done by 32 countries. Olympic Identity Cards were of three kinds:

I.   Green Identity Card

Green Identity Cards were issued to the following:

1.  Members and staff of the I.O.C.
2.  Guests of the Organising Committee
3.  Presidents of National Olympic Committees and International Federations
4.  Chefs de Mission
5.  Members of families of persons in categories 1-4.

The green Identity Card entitled to entry to all venues. A pass card appended to the
Identity Card in Helsinki indicated the seat allotted to the holder in the guest stand.

II. Blue Identity Card

Blue cards were issued to:

1. Representatives of National Olympic Committees
2. Officials of International Federations
3. Team managers
4. Competitors
5. Members of juries and judges approved by International Federations
6. Officials approved by the Organising Committee
7. Coaches, physicians, technical assistants, masseurs, grooms, cooks, etc. attached to teams.

The blue card entitled to entry to Olympic Villages, stands reserved for competitors and
the dressing rooms for the holder's specific sport at the venues. It also entitled the holder to
free transport under the arrangements made in this respect by the Organising Committee.

III. Orange Identity Card

This, the so-called Press Card, was issued to:

1. Journalists
2. Radio and television reporters
3. Photographers
4. Film camera men.

                       Green Identity Cards                              298
                       Blue Identity Cards                              9,234
                       Orange Identity Cards                         1,848
                       Total                                                 11,380

How many green and blue cards were in actual use it is impossible to say, for the National Olympic Committees generally neglected to return superfluous cards. On the other hand, new Identity Cards had to be made out for the entire membership of a few teams on their arrival in Helsinki, the original consignments having failed to reach their destination.
 

Other Identity Cards and Passes

The entry of Finnish officials to venues, training sites and housing centres was arranged by the issue of the following identity cards and passes:

1.   Black Identity Card (with photograph attached) issued to persons in the service of the Organising Committee whose duties were of a kind involving movement everywhere

2 Red Identity Card (with photo) issued to sports officials and entitling to entry to specific venues only

3 White Identity Card with entries in red but no photo, serving as a pass for the performance of the duty
indicated. Issued to persons carrying out specific tasks at venues

4 Armlet with printing (in Finnish) »Messenger», »Vendor» or »Restaurant» entitling persons engaged in these tasks to proceed to their place of work at a venue

5 Pass Certificate issued to persons carrying out transport to venues.

 (Source Document:  Official Report 1952,   page 155)