Seasoned: Rose Bowl Track Racing
From issue 84 • Words and image by Brett Horton of Horton Collection
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In 1932, Los Angeles hosted the Olympic Games, with the track cycling taking place at a velodrome in the Rose Bowl at Pasadena. Just two weeks after the Olympics closed, the velodrome reopened its gates on August 28 to welcome a special event to celebrate the Olympic competitors. This beautifully illustrated program harkens back to a time in American racing when even a souvenir program from a single day’s racing garnered a solid piece of original art—though the artist put the lead rider’s chainwheel on the wrong side.
The competitive line-up for the event was a veritable who’s who of bike racing, including a solid representation of international riders. Clearly, whoever wrote the copy for the rider detail had a sense of humor. My favorite snippet was for Glen Slater. The program describes him as ”one of the oldest riders who thinks he can beat the younger generation.”
From issue 84. Buy it here.
More: hortoncollection.com