From Paris to Berlin, 1936: World and European Figure Skating Championships Pins
In 1936, figure skating’s two premier events—the World Championships and European Championships—were held about 30 days and 650 miles apart on the European continent, one in Paris and one in Berlin. Those two cities could not have been more different in 1936. Paris was the place where painters, sculptors, composers, poets, and writers practiced their artistic endeavors while Berlin was a place where politicians sought to control peoples’ beliefs, single-party propaganda was parroted by state media, and vile ideas and ideals were the norm. As much as those cities contrasted culturally, it’s odd that somehow the main pins from the 1936 World and European Figure Skating Championships turned out to be strikingly similar. A first glance may result in the need to do a double take. So let’s take a look, and be sure to click through on the individual blogs for more information on both pins and a look at more pins from the 1936 Europeans.
Pin Gallery: 1936 World Figure Skating Championships
First up is the pin from the 1936 World Championships. At the center, a skate blade stands above the event location, “Paris.” And above the skate blade is the venue, “Palais des Sport.” The circumference of the pin features the event name in French and year: “Championnats du Monde de Patinage Artistique, 1936.” On a silver-color base metal and with a slightly convex shape, the pin is beautiful in its simplicity. You can read more in the 1936 World Championships pin blog.
Size
Approximately 1-3/16″ diameter (3 cm)
Value
$35 to $50, depending on condition. If this pin can be found all these decades later, it is usually heavily tarnished, often with pitting, and the enamel may have cracked or corroded around the edges; the tarnish can often be removed or minimized to reveal an original luster, but pitting and damage to the enamel are more permanent and greatly affect value.
Provenance
From the estate of Ernst Baier, many times World and European champion and 1936 Olympic champion with Maxi Herber
Pin Gallery: 1936 European Figure Skating Championships
The similarity of the 1936 Europeans pin to the Worlds pin is quickly apparent. Both on a silver-color base metal, both filled with blue enamels, both the same size, both with a slightly convex shape. The style of the skate blade and lettering differ here but are arranged essentially the same as the Worlds pin. Missing is an event venue, which appeared on the Worlds pin. The focal point of the Europeans pin is the skate blade and location, “Berlin”; around the circumference are the event name in German and year: “Europameisterschaften im Eiskunstlaufen, 1936.” The Netropolitan Museum of Figure Skating Pins is proud to feature additional pins from the 1936 European Championships. You can see and read more about them in this blog.
Size
Approximately 1-3/16″ diameter (3 cm)
Value
$35 to $50, depending on condition. Like the 1936 Worlds pin, this pin can show heavy tarnishing, often with pitting, and the enamel may have cracked or corroded around the edges all these decades later; the tarnish can often be removed or minimized to reveal an original luster, but pitting and damage to the enamel are more permanent and greatly affect value.
Double Take Details
Although the 1936 European Championships pin features a maker’s mark (“Rob. Neff, W.57 Berlin”), the World Championships pin is unmarked. It is the opinion of The Curator that both pins likely were produced by the Berlin firm (or a sister company), but with only minor design changes, to capitalize on production efficiency. If anyone has historical information on this topic, please contact The Netropolitan with details so this blog can be updated.
Enjoy this week’s figure skating pins blog: 1936 World and European Figure Skating Championships Pins: Double Take.
The Netropolitan Museum of Figure Skating Pins Story
Be sure to read the museum story for more information about the sport’s pins. If you have a question or have figure skating pins to sell, contact The Netropolitan.
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