Social History — 1948
Torch, Olympic torch
This Olympic Relay torch was gifted to the museum in 1948 by the Organising committee for the 14th Summer Olympics, held in London that year. Designed by Ralph Lavers at the Government's department of Scientific and Industrial Research it was one of 1,720 identical torches manufactured at the EMI factory in Hayes to carry the Olympic flame across Europe from Olympia in Greece to London.
In total around 1,680 runners carried the Olympic flame across war-torn Europe in the 'relay of peace' from 17th July to 29th July 1948. Each runner was allowed to keep their torch, hence the inscription on the torch 'Olympia to London with Thanks to the Bearer'. The relay in 1948 was only the second such event in Olympic history, the first relay having being organised for the 1936 Berlin Olympics held in Nazi Germany.
- Category:
- Social History
- Object ID:
- 49.25/1
- Object name:
- torch, Olympic torch
- Object type:
- Artist/Maker:
- EMI Records Ltd, Lavers, Ralph
- Related people:
- Related events:
- Related places:
- Production date:
- 1948
- Material:
aluminium
- Measurements/duration:
- L 410 mm, DM 143 mm
- Part of:
- —
- On display:
- —
- Record quality:
- 100%
- Part of this object:
- —
- Owner Status & Credit:
Permanent collection
- Copyright holder:
digital image © London Museum
- Image credit:
- —
- Creative commons usage:
- —
- License this image:
To license this image for commercial use, please contact the London Museum Picture Library.