On the eve of the 2024 Paris Olympics, John and Patrick Zuchelli have been thinking a lot about an Olympiad that took place more than a century ago: the 1920 Antwerp Olympics.
Why? Well, the brothers are in possession of something from those games: a 20-by-14 foot flag emblazoned with the Olympic rings. According to what the Zuchellis have been told, it was the first time the rings had ever been placed on a flag.
“It’s a piece of Olympic history,” Patrick said.
On a page about the Antwerp Olympics on the International Olympic Committee’s website, there is a picture of the opening ceremony in which a flag can be seen, similar to the one the Zuchellis have. The flag was subsequently flown over the 1924 and 1928 Olympics in Paris and Amsterdam, and while the flag was presented to the organizers of the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, it never flew over the LA Coliseum. It did, however, find its way into Zuchelli family history.
John and Patrick’s grandfather, Ed Zuchelli, was a jazz musician living in Los Angeles in the 1930s before being chosen to work for the LA Organizing Committee for the 1932 Olympics.
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“He was like the boss’ fireman,” John said. “He would go where there were problems and put them out.”
Ed, it seems, also made a point of collecting memorabilia from the games to share with his family. Ed was given proof editions of the Olympic medals given out at the games, unused tickets, and even scoring sheets from sports like boxing.
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And that flag.
The flag was never used in Los Angeles, the Zuchellis say, because after more than a decade, the flag was beginning to show its age. The LA organizers decided to order a new flag and Ed asked for the old one.
“Grandpa saved it because he was worried something that important wouldn’t be properly taken care of,” Patrick said.
Ever since, the flag has remained in the possession of the Zuchellis. Now, though, they think it deserves a new, more visible home.
“I would love to have it in a museum where the public can go see it with my grandpa’s name next to it,” John said.
“If other people can see it and they can preserve it, that’s our ultimate goal,” Patrick said.
