1988 Olympic opening ceremony. Photo credit: LAPL
Tenth street in Los Angeles was renamed Olympic in honor of Los Angeles hosting the 10th Olympiad. This was the second time the United States had hosted the Olympic games and the US would not host them again until the Olympics returned to Los Angeles in 1988.
The above photo is from the opening ceremony of the 1988 Olympics, while the lead photo is from the opening ceremony of the 1932 Olympics. The stadium didn't change much in the fifty some years between Olympics, with the track remaining all those years. This meant with a little refurbishment, the Coliseum was fit to be the main Olympic venue once again.
During the Olympics, it was known as Olympic Stadium. As we've discussed before, ground broke on the Coliseum in 1921 as a venue for USC football but with the Olympics clearly in mind. Los Angeles submitted the only bid to host the games, and was selected in 1923; the year the Coliseum opened.
In 1930, with the Olympics around the corner, capacity was expanded from 75,144 to 101,574 (to the future dismay of the Rams and Raiders). At the center of the peristyles is the central arch, and atop that the Olympic Flame (still lit during Olympiads and the fourth quarter of USC games). Where now the Olympic rings sit on the face of the central arch, was built a manual scoreboard visible throughout the stadium.
The whole of Exposition Park (temporary known as Olympic Park) was used for the games. Exposition Park was originally known as Agricultural Park, where local farmers would come to show off their wares.
Agricultural Park. Photo: LAPL
The 160 acre plot also had a second attraction, a race track. With a wooden grandstand and all the other amenities, the race track which held horse races amongst others was to place to come drink and gamble. There was even a brothel and hotel for gentlemen to enjoy themselves after the race. This didn't sit well with the wealthy families that settled in the area after USC became a full fledged university.
Los Angeles Athletic Club prepares for a race at Agricultural Park, 1893. Photo: LAPL
Agricultural Park's days were numbered when USC law professor and devout Methodist William Miller Brown was elected to city council. Cleaning up the Sodom and Gomorrah so close to his school was one of his chief initiatives, and in 1909 he was finally successful.
The saloons and brothels were torn down within the year. Around the grass area in the middle, three impressive brick buildings were built. In the back was the State Exhibition Building (now the California Science Center), to the south of the lawn was the 106th Regiment State Armory (now a science school), to the north was the Museum of History, Science, and Art (now the Natural History Museum).
Three women standing in the Rose Garden, with the Armory behind them. Photo: LAPL
By 1913, the whole area took on the identity of the State Exhibition Building and was known as Exhibition Park. In 1928, the sunken garden that remained was transformed into the Exhibition Rose Garden with 15,793 bushes.
Memorial Coliseum was built just west of the Museum, across a lawn from what is now the main entrance. The old entrance to the Museum, with it's massive rotunda, has three ladies in the center holding up a glowing ball; the ladies representing history, science, and art. Science eventually moved into the Exhibition Building and Art moved west to the LA County Museum of Art.
Olympic Stadium hosted the opening and closing ceremonies, 29 athletics events (track and field), equestrian events, gymnastics, hockey, and North American demonstration sports American Football and Lacrosse.
Los Angeles Swimming Stadium. Photo: LAPL
A stones throw from the stadium sits the Los Angeles Swimming Stadium (still there). The stadium originally sat 10,000 and had two grandstands (the wooden one was demolished after the games).
The State Armory held the fencing events, it had a glass roof and could seat 1,800. There were five art competitions (architecture, literature, music, painting, and sculpture) and they were housed inside the museum. Yes that's right, someone won a gold medal at the 1932 Olympics for literature.
Olympic Auditorium. Photo credit: LAPL
There were many events held off the Olympic Park property as well. In 1924 construction was completed on Olympic Auditorium. It was built specifically to house the boxing and wrestling events, boxing being arguably the second most popular sport in America at the time (baseball is first, college football is in there somewhere). It sat 10,000 at the time, and the building still exists though it is now the Glory Church of Jesus Christ, a Korean ministry visible from the blue line's Grand Station.
Rowing events were held at Long Beach Marine Stadium. Grandstands, a boat house, and all the other necessary facilities had to be built at Long Beach's expense, so the stadium was turned over to the city at the conclusion and still stands.
Long Beach Rowing Stadium. Photo: LAPL
Remember when I talked about Long Beach and Wilmington oil drilling pre-regulations? Look at that! Oil derricks every few yards. And what a stark contrast to the upper class sport of rowing taking place. Those are four oared boats with a cockswain, the Germans defeating the Italians by one foot. This appears to be the view from one of the 5,000 permanent seats. There were 12,000 temporary seats installed along the course as well as two miles of standing room.
The Riviera Country Club, now known mostly as a championship golf course, held the equestrian dressage events. The Rose Bowl held cycling. Shooting events were held at the LAPD's shooting range at Elysian Park. The Los Angeles Harbor (now Port of Los Angeles) held the sailing events.
The tenth Olympiad was the first to use a podium for the medal presentation. It was also the first time an Olympic Village was built. The male village was built in Baldwin Hills, female athletes stayed in the Chapman Park Hotel on Wilshire.
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