At the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam, the U.S. Boxing team won a combined three medals. The captain of the USA was Tommy Lown of New York City, a national and state Amateur Athletic champion. At the ’28 Games, Lown was eliminated in the first round of the Welterweight class (66.7 kg / 147 lbs.) by eventual silver medalist Raúl Landini of Argentina. Presented here is the U.S. Olympic jersey worn by Lown in that event. Acquired by our consignor at an estate sale, the shirt comes with dozens of original photos and ephemera from Lown’s amateur and professional boxing career. As a pro, Lown fought fourteen times from 1929 to 1931 with a final record of 12-2. He passed away in 1977.

This 1928 U.S. Olympic team jersey has a red, white and blue stripe running diagonally down the front. “Tommy Lown” is handwritten in pen inside the collar. A vintage Spalding manufacturer’s tag is found just inside the lower right tail. The white shirt now in a creamy tone white exhibits heavy use and aging with moderate soiling throughout and some scattered holes likely from wear-and-tear and storage. Overall, it remains in good condition. The U.S. Olympic shield patch on the left chest visible in photos of Lown wearing this shirt has been removed. The stripe pattern and its locale on the shirt are easy visual matches to Olympic photos from the Lown estate of the young boxer wearing it. We have never handled any Olympic jersey from the 1928 Amsterdam Games – not from any Olympic athlete – let alone one representing the United States in competition. A rare pre-war artifact indeed!

Included with the shirt are: seven circa 1928 Olympics vintage photographs of Tommy Lown wearing this offered jersey including a 1928 U.S. Boxing team photo and two individual shots of Lown that he has signed and inscribed; nine vintage photos from his amateur and pro boxing career; Lown’s official signed U.S. social security card; Lown’s signed 1928 U.S. Olympic identification card; a handwritten letter to his mother while competing in Dublin, Ireland; several newspaper clippings and other personal keepsakes.