Although the 2012 London Olympic Games have come to a close, students still have the opportunity to experience a taste of the Olympic spirit on campus.

In the University Archives and Reference section of Booth Library, located at the south entrance to the library, a collection of Olympic posters from every Summer Olympics in history is on display.

Romantic landscapes and athletes poised in idealistic poses adorn the posters of the early Summer Olympics, the first of which occurred in 1896.

Exploring the exhibit along the timeline of Olympic history, the posters tend to express more and more of the cultures of the host nations and become more abstract.

The poster for the 1968 Mexico City Olympics features a dizzying display of black and white concentric lines emanating from the central title “Mexico 68.”

The poster for the 2008 Beijing Olympics is dominated by the central figure of a dancing person, which is actually a stylized version of the Chinese character “Jing” from the host city’s name.

However, there are gaps in the posters.

Senior Library Specialist Johna Von Behren, who assembled the poster collection, explained that three Summer Olympic Games had to be canceled because of World War I and World War II: in 1916 in Berlin, 1940 in Tokyo and 1944 in London.

Also on display at the exhibit is an Olympic torch carried in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Former Gov. Jim Edgar donated the torch.

Von Behren said the Olympic posters are more than just advertising for the games. She said they bring together art, politics, commerce and culture.

“It’s a combination of all of these aspects,” she said.

The games are an important part of the international community at large, Von Behren said.

“I think it is very good for politics and for people of other races and cultures to understand each other,” she said. “Plus, it’s fun to watch.”

However, Von Behren said she has noticed interest in the Olympics has waned in recent years.

“I know my generation, we loved the Olympics, but I’ve noticed that my friends’ children—I don’t know if it is because they’ve been bombarded with TV—but they couldn’t care less,” she said.

Von Behren said she hopes the exhibit will be able to renew interest in the games and allow students to learn more about the history of the Olympics.

Tim Deters can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].