The 1924 Olympic Games, held in Paris from May 4 to July 27, were teeming with firsts. These Olympics marked the first time any city had hosted the Games twice (the original Paris Games were held in 1900); the first time the modern Olympic motto “Citius, Altius, Fortius” (Swifter, Higher, Stronger) was used; the first time athletes had an Olympic Village to stay in (their options had been hotels, schools, or barracks before that); and the first time the Olympics included an art competition, in which architects, writers, musicians, painters, and sculptors could win medals for their sports-themed creations (this was discontinued after 1948).
Yet the 1924 Games were notable for other reasons too: they saw the rise of the “Flying Finns,” the Finnish running team led by legendary distance runner Paavo Nurmi; American swimmer Johnny Weissmuller won three of his five gold medals during these Games (he would later transition to acting, playing Tarzan in 12 feature films across the 1930s and ’40s); and two British runners, Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell, competed and won gold in the 100- and 400-meter events, respectively, their stories later inspiring the 1981 film Chariots of Fire.
But, in the countdown to this year’s Olympics, far more fun than reviewing the facts and figures from 1924 is poring over the surviving images from those Games. The bodies! The uniforms! Like every Games since, Paris 1924 was a dazzling display of human achievement and skill—but what, exactly, did that look like 100 years ago? We invite you to find out below.
