HENLEY’S River and Rowing Museum has marked the opening of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games with a new exhibition that offers the chance to relive the energy of London 2012.
Designing the Olympics tells how design has been used across the decades to convey the Olympic spirit.
With 100 years of Olympic posters, programmes, costumes and souvenirs, visitors can see how these iconic artworks provide a record of the changes in society and culture.
Curated by Chelsea Eves, the assistant curator at the Mill Meadows museum, the exhibition includes loans from the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Arts Council and the British Olympic Association.
Packed with family-friendly activities, visitors will be encouraged to have a go on a rowing machine to see if they can beat an Olympian and celebrate their success on a miniature Olympics-style podium.
Eloise Chapman, the museum’s head of collections and exhibitions, said: “We are excited to be offering our visitors the chance to look behind the classic designs of Olympic posters and to discover how these works of art provide a record of the last century of cultural changes around the world.
“This family-friendly exhibition includes iconic items from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games as well as the opening ceremony.”
The podium will also be pressed into service on Thursday (August 18), when the museum hosts a family sports day.
Dubbed the Henley Games, the event will run from 10.30am to 4pm on the adjacent Mill Meadows.
Entry to the Henley Games is free with admission to the museum.
Designing the Olympics is open daily from 10am until 5pm and continues until Monday, October 31. For more information, visit
www.rrm.co.uk 
