A MEMBER OF THE TEAM
The Summer Olympics of 1924 were held in Paris that year. The Swiss sent 141 competitors, 136 men and 5 women, to compete in 74 events in 17 sports. They did well winning 7 Gold, 7 Silver and 10 Bronze medals that year. One of their competitors was a 21 year old named Paul John Wenger of their swim team.
Unfortunately Paul's team did not perform well that year. Only one member, Robert Wyss, made it to a final round and came in 5th in the Men's 200 m breaststroke. This is the same Olympics that 34 year old, 2 time gold medalist, World Record Holder and surfing legend, Duke Kahanamoku went up against 20 year old Johnny Weissmuller (Soon to be Tarzan). Weissmuller set an Olympic record to edge out Duke in the Men's 100 m freestyle.
The Piscine des Tourelles Where Paul Competed
Following Paul has been a little difficult. He has left a very small paper trail. I do know that he came to the United States in 1926. At that time he filed what is called "First Papers". This record is by which an applicant for United States citizenship declares their intent to become a citizen and renounce their allegiance to a foreign government. By 1931 he should be filing for his citizenship. Why Paul left Switzerland is unknown. The country was very prosperous at the time and America was about to hit the Great Depression.
Paul's paper trail then jumps to 1930 in Los Angeles, California. There are 20 other Wengers listed in the City Directory at the time but only 2 of them were from Switzerland. These two are both elderly cemetery workers and live no where near him. Paul is now listed as salesman for an aircraft factory. From his address in South Los Angeles at this time he is just a few blocks from an aircraft factory called R F Hardin Aeronautics. Mr. Hardin was well known in the aircraft industry at the time and also ran the Royal Institute of Aeronautics in Los Angeles. There were 4 other aircraft firms in L. A. at the time but none of those were located near Paul.
The 1932 Summer Olympics were officially known as the Games of the Xth Olympiad. Los Angeles, selected as the host in 1923, hosted the event from July 30 to August 14, 1932. With the Games being held during the worldwide Great Depression some nations were unable to pay for the trip to Los Angeles. Only 37 nations competed compared to 46 in the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. Even U. S. President Herbert Hoover did not bother to attend the Games. But the Swiss were there and Paul was named an Honorary Member of their swim team. Unfortunately, again, the swim team fails to win a medal.
The event was held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum which had been built in 1923. It was renovated in 1930 to be ready for the games.
Out of pride, or to make a buck, Paul came up with the idea to create playing cards to celebrate the Xth Olympiad. He apparently made a deal with a printing factory for the Los Angeles Downtown Shopping News located at 3440 South Hope Street a couple miles from where he was living. This address appears on the card box.
Los Angeles Downtown Shopping News. It later served as the California National Guard Armory
The Hochman Encyclopedia of Playing Cards lists his deck as such........
SE 10
10th OLYMPIAD PLAYING CARDS, P.G. Wenger, 1932.
The backs feature an Olympic participant carrying a garland. Two different film stars are shown on each court card. Flags of the different participating nations are on the spot cards and the views of the stadium are pictured on the aces. The pack was issued to promote and raise funds for the Olympic Games held in Los Angeles in 1932. The Joker is Joe E. Brown.
SE 10
10th OLYMPIAD PLAYING CARDS, P.G. Wenger, 1932.
The backs feature an Olympic participant carrying a garland. Two different film stars are shown on each court card. Flags of the different participating nations are on the spot cards and the views of the stadium are pictured on the aces. The pack was issued to promote and raise funds for the Olympic Games held in Los Angeles in 1932. The Joker is Joe E. Brown.
The Hochman Price Guide rates this deck at $100 in excellent shape if it is complete. But there is one thing I do not believe Gene Hochman knew. It has to do with the tax revenue stamp.
Paul's stamp was a provisional stamp meant for temporary use. If you will notice the date on the stamp it was cancelled only six days before the end of the games. An ad from a 1987 stamp auction by Michael E. Aldrich Auctions describes it as this;
This stamp, known as R234, when now found unused, and in good condition easily sells for $200. And, since unused stamps are being occasionally found, then how many of the 150 decks with this stamp were actually sold?
(New information received. See update below)
(New information received. See update below)
So now, would you call this deck a $100 value? I think not.
After the Olympics Paul is living in the Hollywood area and is listed in the City Directory as an "Inventor". Of what we do not know. But he did not live there for very long.
Saturday, July 28, 1934
TROLLEY CRASH FATAL
Injures received when his automobile crashed head-on into a Pacific Electric Railway street car proved fatal yesterday morning for Paul J. Wenger, 31, a member of the Swiss swimming team at the 1924 Olympics in Paris.
The accident occurred at Sunset Boulevard and Lucille Street. Motorman W. H. West was at the controls of the street car. Wenger died at Georgia Street Receiving Hospital shortly after the accident.
Saturday, July 28, 1934
TROLLEY CRASH FATAL
Injures received when his automobile crashed head-on into a Pacific Electric Railway street car proved fatal yesterday morning for Paul J. Wenger, 31, a member of the Swiss swimming team at the 1924 Olympics in Paris.
The accident occurred at Sunset Boulevard and Lucille Street. Motorman W. H. West was at the controls of the street car. Wenger died at Georgia Street Receiving Hospital shortly after the accident.
Georgia Street Receiving Hospital Pacific Electric Railway Car
UPDATES
On November 21, 2021 I received an email from collector Mark Rauschenberger. He informed me of another tax stamp that appears on his Xth Olympiad deck. His stamp is known in the stamp collecting world as an RF24. It was a revenue stamp used between 1930 and 1940. But the cancellation date on his is August 12th. This is 4 days after Paul's provisional stamp and 2 days before the end of the games. How many of these stamps were purchased by Wenger are unknown. Thanks, Mark, for the information.
Then in December 2022 I was discussing the Wenger stamp with Eric Jackson of Eric Jackson Revenue Stamps in Leesport, Pennsylvania. He informed me that there were several other cancellation dates besides the one shown above (AUG 8- 1932) in the auction.
They are;
AUG 4X 1932
AUG 6- 1932
AUG -6 1932
AUG X6 1932
AUG -8 1932
If you collect playing card tax revenue stamps then click on the link below to visit Eric's store.