Speedo is the world's principal competitive swimwear designer and manufacturer. The Museum has an extensive collection of Speedo swimwear and accessories dating from the 1930s to the present including designs produced for the Australian Olympic Games team from 1964 to 2000, the Australian Commonwealth Games team from 1970-1994 and numerous international Olympic teams. This collection is complemented by the Speedo archive which includes scrapbooks, catalogues, posters, newsletters, stickers, photographs, video footage and badges.

Speedo's origin's lie in MacRae Knitting Mills, manufacturer of cotton and wool knitwear. They produced their first swimming costumes in Sydney, Australia in the late 1920s and in 1929 held a competition to find a name for their new swimwear line. So successful was a staff members catchy slogan 'Speed on in your Speedo' ,they changed the company name to Speedo.

From the beginning Speedo focussed their attention on producing competitive swimwear complemented by a range of leisure swimwear and knitted apparel. The Museum's Speedo collection and archive illustrates the evolution of swimwear styles and fabrics designed to reduce water resistance and enhance speed. By the 1980s most of the world's top competitive swimmers were competing in Speedo's. In 1990 the Pentland Group in the UK purchased the licence for Speedo International and the manufacturing and distribution of Speedo Australia. A manufacturing and marketing arm was retained in Australia until 2001 when all manufacturing was transferred to Speedo International factories. The Speedo factory in Windsor, Sydney was retained as a marketing and distribution point and refurbished as a major design centre for Speedo leisure wear.

This additional collection of material includes some of the accessories Speedo produced to complement its leisure swimwear ranges including beach bags, scuffs and towels. This towel was designed to complement Speedo's USA Olympic swimming team swimsuit for the 1964 summer and winter Olympic Games in Tokyo and Innsbruck, Powerhouse Museum collection item 92/1642.

Designer unknown.

Made by Morgan Jones, possibly in England.

This towel was made in 1964.

Part of the USA Olympic teams 1964 Olympic team outfit. Designed to complement the swimsuit designed by Speedo Australia. The towel was designed for use in both the summer and winter Olympic Games in Tokyo and Innsbruck.
Part of a collection of material relating to the history of Speedo Australia put together by former Speedo designer Gloria Smythe.

Towel, cotton terry towelling, Tokyo Olympic Games and Innsbruck Winter Games 1964, designed and made by Morgan Jones for the USA team, [England], 1964.

Rectangular cotton terry towelling towel woven with broad red, white and blue bands. At opposite ends is printed design featuring the Olympic torch surrounded by a wreath. One end includes the text 'Tokyo 1964' and the other 'Innsbruck 1964'. There is a short fringe at each end.

Made: Morgan Jones; England; 1964


Used: Tokyo, Japan

Used: Innsbruck, Austria

White fabric label 'SELECTRED FOR THE 1964 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM/Morgan-Jones/100% COTTON'.

2002/3/4

1964

645 mm