The history of the Summer Olympics, in 27 posters

Tour 120 years of visually diverse and historically revealing Summer Olympics posters

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Olympics posters through the ages.
(Image credit: Wikimedia commons, The Advertising Archives / Alamy Stock Photo)
(Image credit: (Public Domain, The Advertising Archives / Alamy Stock Photo)Since the 1912 Games, the host country has designed and executed a poster to represent their Games. Seen all at once, these Summer)

(Image credit: Stockholm, Sweden)

(Image credit: Antwerp, Belgium)

(Image credit: Paris, France)

(Image credit: Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

(Image credit: Los Angeles, U.S.)

(Image credit: Berlin, Germany)

(Image credit: London, England)

(Image credit: Helsinki, Finland)

(Image credit: Melbourne, Australia)

(Image credit: Rome, Italy)

(Image credit: Tokyo, Japan)

(Image credit: Mexico City, Mexico)

(Image credit: Munich, Germany)

(Image credit: Moscow, Russia)

(Image credit: Los Angeles, U.S.)

(Image credit: Seoul, South Korea)

(Image credit: Barcelona, Spain)

(Image credit: Atlanta, U.S.)

(Image credit: Sydney, Australia)

(Image credit: Athens, Greece)

(Image credit: Beijing, China)

(Image credit: London, England)

(Image credit: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Rio Olympics commissioned 13 posters from a variety of Brazilian artists. This is just one example.)

Lauren Hansen
Lauren Hansen

Lauren Hansen produces The Week’s podcasts and videos and edits the photo blog, Captured. She also manages the production of the magazine's iPad app. A graduate of Kenyon College and Northwestern University, she previously worked at the BBC and Frontline. She knows a thing or two about pretty pictures and cute puppies, both of which she tweets about @mylaurenhansen.