16 Team USA 1956 Melbourne Olympics Gymnastics Photographs Signed - Nissen Co. for Sale

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16 Team USA 1956 Melbourne Olympics Gymnastics Photographs Signed - Nissen Co. For Sale

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16 Team USA 1956 Melbourne Olympics Gymnastics Photographs Signed - Nissen Co.:
$252.99

16 Team USA 1956 Melbourne Olympics Gymnastics Photographs Signed - Nissen Co.
A very unusual small brown vinyl secretary/wallet with a gold 1956 Melbourne Olympics badge printed to the front. The dimensions are 10.5cm x 8cm x 1cm with the photos contained a similar but slightly smaller size. On the inside of the front flap (opening to the right) is a tan coloured flap with printed images of a trampoline and other gymnastic related equipment. On the rear side of the flap beneath that (opening to the left), is more gold printing revealing that the piece was made for and presented to \"Helen Schmul\" by the Nissen Trampoline Company. The Nissen Trampoline company has a long and interesting history of association with both gymnastics programs and the Olympics itself. The founder George Nissen started the first trampoline company in 1942 and submitted the first trampoline patent in 1945. The company opened its first UK factory in 1956 and it\'s interesting to note both the US and UK addresses on the item. Nissen was dogged in promoting trampolining as the perfect training apparatus for gymnasts at this time as well as trying to promote trampolining as a gymnastic discipline itself. He eventually got his wish with trampolining becoming an Olympic sport for the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Because of this, the item seems to be a promotional welcome or thank you gift provided to a limited number of people of importance to the US team or the Nissen Trampoline Company. The secretary/wallet then opens out further to reveal 8 fold out panels of clear plastic with two photos inserted in each (16 photos in total). The photos contain seven images of each individual competitor from the US women\'s gymnastics team as well as an eighth of their coach. Each is signed making it a complete and I would assume quite rare collection of both the photos and autographs of the team from this time. The other 8 photos are a mixture of two city scenes (San Francisco and another I can\'t quite identify), one group picture of the entire female US gymnastics team, one photo of the entire US men\'s gymnastic team, three trampoline related photos and a final photo of the female coach and two athletes. It really is a fantastic piece of early Olympic and trampoline history most particularly because of its promotional focus on female athletes, a rarity of the time. Please feel free to contact me for any further information or photos if required.