Offered here is a large and eclectic group of original photos, personal ID cards, certificates, programs, booklets, news clippings and other ephemera from the personal collection of U.S. rower and 1948 Olympic Gold Medalist, Lloyd Butler. Butler and his Eight Oared Shell squad from Cal-Berkeley won the Olympic Trials and National Championships held at Lake Carnegie, NJ, in July of 1948 to earned their place of representing the United States at the London Summer Games where they again took care of business by holding off the host country Great Britain's boat to become Olympic champions.
The first piece is an official USOC program from the 1948 U.S. Olympic Rowing Trials. Featuring a colorful streamline graphic cover, this booklet lists the schedule of rowing events with the U.S. teams and athletes competing to represent the U.S. in London. Someone (presumably Butler himself) has penciled in the winners of each Eight-Oared qualifying heat all the way up to Cal's victory in the final race.
Even more scarce is Butler's very own "XIV Olympiad 1948 Souvenir Brochure Presented to the Competitors in the Rowing and Canoeing Events" at the London Games. The lovely 8" x 11" cream-colored booklet (32 total pages) has a unique golden shield logo on the cover with the Olympic rings and is antiquely bound with blue string. Inside in a very dignified British layout are images and descriptions of the many sites around London, mainly along "The River Thames" where these boat events would be held. A welcome page with a stamped date of "July 29th, 1948" has a nice intro provided by the mayor of the Citizens of the Borough of High Wycombe. We have never seen one of these before and suppose most collectors have not. It presents NM-MT except for two tiny tears on the last two pages.
Next up is Butler’s 8" x 6¼" U.S. Olympic Team certificate of participation from the Olympic Trials with “Lloyd L. Butler” in printed calligraphy along with the facsimile signature of longtime USOC President Avery Brundage. These are rarely seen, yet alone kept in such pristine condition. Third is a 10" x 14" black and white printed illustration of the 1948 U.S. Olympic Rowing Team (picturing Butler in his standard No. 4 position) which has been signed by legendary Cal coach Ky Ebright in 7/10 blue pen under his nice facial portrait. 1948 was the third of Ebright’s Cal teams to bring home an Olympic gold medal (also 1928 & '36). The piece shows edge wear and has been creased and partially torn through its center.
A true rarity for any Olympic athlete to release to the market is his/her actual passport, but here is Lloyd Butler’s issued 7/13/1948 in time for the 1948 London Olympics, featuring his photograph, signature and all appropriately dated stamps from customs. Not to be outdone on the personal level is a collection of 21 original black and white photographs in various sizes of Butler and his college and Olympic teammates in all their glory. Most of these are stamped on the reverse with the official wire/media or professional photographer info. All come in a black binder that SCP has provided.
Lastly, Butler’s own copy of the 1949 Official Amateur Rowing Guide (roughly 5" x 7" and 150 pages) featuring the victorious Olympic eight along with 1948 newspaper clippings from Butler's hometown of Watsonville, Calif., completes this extensive and very personal lot.
LOA from Butler family.