More than a century ago, in January 1924, some 258 athletes from 16 countries gathered in the French Alpine resort of Chamonix to participate in the first Winter Olympic Games.
Black and white photographs from the inaugural Games offer a striking glimpse of how different the sporting showdown once was, and stand in stark contrast to what the public will see at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in 2026, when around 3,500 athletes from more than 90 countries are expected to compete.
Archive footage captures moments from the opening ceremony, skaters posing in training and even the aftermath of a dramatic bobsleigh accident – but all without the sponsorship logo or LED scoreboard in sight.
See the photos below:
The United States delegation during the opening ceremony of the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France. Teams from all nations paraded from City Hall to the skating rink, where the competitions proper began the next day.
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Eleven-year-old Sonja Henie, left, and world champion skater Gilles Grafstrom at the 1924 Olympic Games.
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American speed skaters practicing in Chamonix.
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French figure skater Andree Joly and American figure skater Beatrix Loughran posing during a practice session.
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Norwegian ski jumper Jacob Tull’s Thams takes flight.
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Delegates from the competing nations gather near the Saint-Michel church and the Hotel de Ville for the opening ceremony.
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American speed skater Charles Jewtraw is on track to win gold in the men’s 500 meters speed skating, becoming the first Winter Olympic gold medalist.
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The Norwegian Sonja Henie competes, at only 11 years old, in women’s single figure skating.
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Competitors are taken to the starting point of the bobsleigh event.
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Taking down the injured after a bobsleigh accident.
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Belgian figure skater Freddy Mesot posing during a training session.
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The Italian team during the opening parade.
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The start of the 10,000 meter speed skating test.
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American ice hockey goalie Alphonse Lacroix during practice, before winning a silver medal with the team.
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The British four-man bobsleigh team in action in Chamonix.
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Figure skaters Herma Planck-Szabo of Hungary, Ethel Muckelt of Great Britain and Beatrix Loughran of the United States.
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English speed skaters training in Chamonix.
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The Canadian ice hockey team, the Toronto Granites, beat the United States in the final 6-1 to take the gold medal.
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Herma Planck-Szabo of Austria on her way to winning the gold medal in women’s figure skating.
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French athletes swear to celebrate the Games with loyalty.
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The Canadian ice hockey team scored during the final in which they beat the United States 6-1.
