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The artist behind the London 1948 Olympic images

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The Jewish graphic artist who created the official stamp for the 1948 London Olympics was nicknamed “Olympic Games” in honour of his contribution.

Abram Games, who also designed the British European Airways poster for the Olympics, entered a competition to come up with the stamp in 1947.

His design was pitted against 25 others and eventually chosen for the 3d value stamp and, by the time of the games, 36 million stamps featuring his work were in circulation.

The Post Office described Mr Games’s stamp as showing “the figure of an athlete combined with the world, symbolising the athletic striving of all the nations taking part… The horizontal drawing of the athlete and the lines running from him express the movement and vitality of the Games.”

Abram Games’s daughter Naomi, who is the archivist for his work, said: “He was delighted his surname was on the stamp as designers were never allowed to sign their stamps.” His stamp will feature in the Olympex 2012 exhibition at the British Library from July 25.

Mr Games is best known for his series of 100 war posters and his design for the 1951 Festival of Britain. He
died in 1996 aged 82

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