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Rare set of three official invitation letters for the 1896 Olympics, the first international Olympic Games in modern history, which were held in Athens, Greece, from April 6–15, 1896. The letters, each one page and addressed to the Minister of Maritime Affairs (“Mr. Lavidas”), were sent by Timoleon Filimon, the General Secretary of the Athens Games, and Tryfon Moutzopoulos, the Mayor of Piraeus, who hosted events at the port city’s Karaiskakis Stadium.
The first two handwritten invitations are from Filimon, with one from March 22, 1896, requesting Lavidas to attend the unveiling of the statue of Georgios Averof in front of Panathenaic Stadium, in addition to the subsequent celebration; the second invitation, sent two days later on March 24th, notes that Lavidas and his wife will be seated close to the Royal family for the full duration of the Games, and that a ‘season pass’ is enclosed (not present). Both are signed at the conclusion by Filimon and feature Olympic Organizing Committee stamps, numbered “1096” and “1113.”
The third letter is a personal invitation from Mayor Moutzopoulos, dated March 25, 1896 (the opening day of the Games), inviting Lavidas and his family to attend the celebrations that will be held on Friday, March 29th, at 9 AM, to be attended with the king, the royal family, and all high-level official dignitaries and foreigners. Signed at the conclusion by Moutzopoulos, whose official mayoral stamp is present to the left. In overall fine condition. Original documents from the 1896 Olympics are decidedly rare, with examples sent by high-ranking officials all the more desirable. Preserved for more than a century, these invitations provide a direct and tangible link to Athens 1896, offering insight into the ceremonies and organization surrounding the first modern Olympic Games.
