Paris 1900 Olympic Poster

The 1900 Olympics were held during the World’s Fair in Paris. Although there was no official poster produced for the promotion of the Games, the organisers circulated some for specific sporting contests. This example, focusing on the fencing competition, was created by Jean de Paleologu (1860 – 1942) (signs as ‘PAL’). Originally from Romania, Paleologu lived and worked in Paris and the United States, producing illustrations for well-known magazines and newspapers.

While visually striking, this large poster is also misleading; women did not take part in Olympic fencing events until 1924.