Update2010(22)

File: Update 2010

The „Fortissimo“ on the cover: 

Translated letter (original in German) from Kurt Klemmer to the author: 

The Original! 

....so all began! 

The Fortissimo is the wordwide first oversize racket which was made by Snauweart & 

Depla in Belgium following the insights and the ideas of Kurt Klemmer in his quest for 

strings of the same length as used in diagonally strung rackets. 

The Fortissimo was exhibited at the Sportartikelmesse (Spoga), Cologne, in October 

1972. 

It was given as a present to Mr. Siegfried Kuebler, Überlingen, founder of the private 

German Tennisracket Museum. 

Haßloch, April 1993 

Files used for this book (Update 2010) 

Umschlag 

001 Titel 

01 Update 2010ee 

02 American2010ee 

03 Australian 2010 ee 

04 English 2010 bis Jefferies ee 

05 English 2010 bis Lawson ee 

06 German 2010 bis Hopp ee 

07 German 2010 ab Horaz 

08 French 2010 ee 

09 Italian 2010 ee 

10 Various 2010 ee Nikonow 

11 Bespannungen 2010 Gurneyee 

12 Presses 2010 Gurney ee 

13 Titel 

Su mUmschl.Nov.2020

supersedes and includes all Updates published earlier 

dedicated to 

Regine Kuebler 

Only seventy copies were printed of this second edition. 

This Update 2010 is therefore in itself a valuable collectible book. 

Each one is autographed by the author. 

No changes have been made to the first edition except for the cover. 

Siegfried Kuebler 

Ll Aa Nn 

imitierte uflage r. von 70 

Update 2010 (revised Nov. 2020)

Book of Tennis Rackets 

Update 

This UPDATE would not have been possible without the contributions of the 

ladies and gentlemen listed below: 

Ted a‘Beckett, Lismore, Victoria, Australia 

Clark Benson, Lake Ridge, VA – U.S.A. 

Glenn A. Björkman, Hindsdale, IL 60522, U.S.A. 

Theo Bollerman, Den Haag, Netherlands 

Lionel Bradford, – England 

Jürgen Bundschuh, – Germany 

Hans von Buxhoeveden, – Chesterfield, Mo. – U.S.A. 

Gianni Clerici, Como – Italy 

David Cornwell, – New Zealand 

Randy Crow, – U.S.A. 

Peter Distin, Bletchworth, Surrey – England 

Lee Draisin, Martinez, CA – U.S.A. 

Dariusz Duleba, Poland 

Christopher and Sue Elks, Wythall, Birmingham – England 

Michel Guilluy, – Arlon, Belgium 

Gerald Gurney, Guildhall, Great Bromley, Colchester,Essex – England 

Ron Halberg, Chatham, Ill. – U.S.A. 

Chuck Hoey, Elizabeth, Pa. – U.S.A. 

Tim Hooley, Vancouver BC. – Canada 

Urs Peter Inderbitzin, Luzern – Switzerland 

Maurice Jacobs, England 

Rolf Jäger, Costa Mesa, Ca. – U.S.A. 

Robert H. Jordan, King of Prussia, Pa. – U.S.A. 

Adrian Keats, Newtown – Victoria Australia 

Thiago Medeiros, – Sao Paulo, Brazil 

Rodney Lack, Australia 

Herfried Lammer, Kennelbach – Austria 

Dr. Heiner Kerling, Bamberg – Germany 

Rich McCormack, – U.S.A. 

Thiago Medeiros, Sao Paulo, Brazil 

Walter Montenegro, – U.S.A. 

Tom Paton, – Australia 

Aldo Romeo, Cincinnati, Ohio – U.S.A. 

Giuseppe Russotto, Milano – Italy 

Michael Searle, Oxford – England 

“Ein herzlichesDankeschön” to Mr. Gerald Gurney for proofreading this Update 

This Update 2010 is limited to 50 copies. They are marked with sequential numbers starting with 1 and 

ending with 50. Each copy is autographed by the author. Modern Laser printing capabilities make it 

possible to produce this booklet at a price which is still affordable despite such a low circulation. 

It is therefore not only a valuable source of information on the never-ending story of collectable tennis 

rackets but also a collectable item itself. 

© Copyright 2010 by Siegfried Kuebler – D 88662 Überlingen – Zur Grundel 18 – Germany 

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or 

transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or 

otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright-holder. 

4

Book of Tennis Rackets Contents of Update 

Contents of the Update 2010 

to the “Book of Tennis Rackets”, published in 2000 

Update 

The Evolution of the Tennis Racket 

French racket estimated from the early 18th century 

Racket used by Joseph Barcellon Père, Tennis Player. Paumier du Roi 1753 

Excerpt from the “American Agriculturist” Out-Door Games – Lawn Tennis, approx. 1880 

Which were the last wooden rackets made and offered by major manufacturers? 

The Age of a Tennis Racket 

Rackets with a laminated throat-piece (wedge) 

Ratings, Restoration, and Exhibition of Rackets 

Where to keep rackets? 

Technical Tables and Terminology of Racket Components 

Christopher Elks: The Cavendish Rules of 1886 

Materials: 

Ebonite – Vulcanite (Hard rubber) 

Vulcan Fibre or Vulcanised Fibre 

Patents of Tennis Rackets and Accessories 

Additional US Patents 

Australian Patents 

Additional English Patents 

Miscellanies 

Photodecal Picture Rackets 

Definitions by Randy Crow. 

Rackets in the possession 

of Hans von Buxhoeveden, 

of Dr. Heiner Kerling 

and of other collectors were added to the tables. 

New photographs were added. 

New tables are shown to substitute the tables on page 608 and 609. 

Appendix 

Real Tennis – The game from which Lawn Tennis was devised 

The Biggest Racket so far made – Guinness Book of Records 

The Colourful World of Vibration Dampers 

Sporting Goods Stores 

Main section 

Rackets and their Manufacturers 

American Rackets 

Australian Rackets 

English Rackets 

German Rackets 

French Rackets 

Italian Rackets 

Rackets from other countries: 

Austria/Belgium/Canada/Czechoslovakia/ 

India/Italy/Japan/Korea/Netherlands/ 

No Name/Pakistan/Russia/South America/ 

Switzerland/Taiwan 

Racket Presses 

Stringing Patterns and Systems 

Auction Houses 

Please add to the addresses on page 6 

in the Book: 

Kahn-Dumousset 

9, rue Drouot 

75009 Paris/France 

5

Book of Tennis Rackets Evolution 

Update 

Additional information to page 15: 


Presumably French racket, circa early 18th century? In the possession of 

Maurice Jacobs, British Tennis Empire a.d. (July 2005). 



Racket used by 

Joseph Barcellon Père, Tennis Player. Paumier du 

Roi 1753. 

The racket in the hand of the player is only about 15 

years older than the racket described in full detail by 

de Garsault in 1768. It shows a slightly flat-topped 

head with a concave wedge, which is bound (by 

leather strips?) additionally to the shoulders of the 

frame. It has a leather wrapped handle similar to the 

Garsault racket. 

6

Book of Tennis Rackets Evolution 

Update 

Please add to page 23: 


Excerpt from the “American Agriculturist” page 195, 1880: 

Out-Door Games – Lawn Tennis 

The Racquettes, or bats are regarded as the most important parts of the 

outfit. They look like a highly civilized, long-heeled and rather one-sided 

snowshoe. Some styles are of different coloured woods and highly 

polished. 

Comment by the author: Please note the two types of rackets in the box, 

one pair being lopsided the other pair of almost symmetrical shape. 

Both styles were in use. 

Approx. 1880 

Please add to page 24: 

The Evolution of the Tennis 

Racket 

Which were the last wooden 

rackets made and offered by major 

manufacturers? 

Wooden laminated rackets with a 

traditional standard hitting area and 

laminations running perpendicular to 

the face of the racket (such as the 

Dunlop “Maxply”): 

1984: Wilson Jack Kramer Autograph 

1985: Wilson Chris Evert Autograph 

1985: Dunlop McEnroe Autograph 

1985: Donnay Borg Pro 

1986: Snauwaert Gottfried Autograph 

Wooden rackets with larger hitting 

areas (25 to 50% larger), usually with 

laminations running parallel to the face 

of the racket and reinforced with fibres 

or even metal, were made even later. 

Since they were painted completely it 

is often difficult to determine the 

wooden core. 

Some examples: 

1987: Prince Woodie 110 (50% larger) 

1987: Snauwaert Ergonom 2 Midsize, 

head offset to the axis of the racket. 

1987: Snauwaert Lady, 25% larger, 

reinforced with fibres. 

7

Book of Tennis Rackets The Age of a Tennis Racket 

Update 

Please replace the drawing on the top of page 50 in the book 

Snauwaert: 

Gottfried Autograph, 1986 

The last laminated wooden, standard size 

tennis racket made by a known brand name 

tennis racket manufacturer? 

Ratings, Restoration, and Exhibition of Rackets 

Additional information to page 46, Where to keep rackets? 

Not only rackets are often exhibited but also paintings and etchings. Please observe the following recommendations: 

No direct sunlight, no direct lighting, use UV protection films (or such glass) on windows. No exterior walls, no nearby 

sources of heat, no excessive moisture, no excessive dust should be allowed. Keep the paintings upright and never 

let anyone touch the surface of the paintings. 

Use for lighting incandescent lights if possible but not too close to the bulbs which radiate heat. Fluorescent bulbs 

should be avoided. 

Paintings should be placed behind UV filtering glass. This also helps to avoid infestation from insects directly on the 

painting’s surface. 

8

Book of Tennis Rackets Ratings, Restoration, and Exhibition 

Update 

The Age of a Tennis Racket 

New information to page 36, “The 

Throat-Piece” (wedge): 

Rackets with a laminated throat-piece 

A closer look at William Richey’s US 

Patent No. 779,184, applied for Feb. 9, 

1904 and granted January 3, 1905 

(please consult page 516 in the Book), 

revealed that only a certain 

construction of laminated wedges was 

patented and it can be well assumed 

that other laminated wedges existed 

long before the patent’s application 

date. Therefore the assumption that 

rackets with laminated wedges should 

be dated later than 1904 cannot be 

maintained any longer. 

To demonstrate what is meant by 

Richley’s patent a close-up 

photograph is shown as an example. 

Rackets made accordingly are 

therefore most likely made after 1904. 

Part of the patent drawing is shown 

below. The lamination strips can be 

made in different manners. Fig. 3 and 

Fig. 4 are two variations of the 

invention. Any strips without the 

edges pointing up must have been 

known and used before and after the 

date of Richley’s patent. 

The second close-up photograph 

shows the laminated wedge of a 

Horsman racket, which is not made to 

Richley’s patent. 

There is no extension of the 

laminations to be seen upwards into 

the rackets frame. This construction 

has been presumably been used long 

before Richley’s patent. 

First close up photograph 

Second close up photograph 

edges pointing up 

Two lamination strips, 

one enhanced in bright colour. 

Victor Sporting Goods Co. racket, the Oxford, c. 1908, is clearly made to 

Richley’s patent. It can easily be seen that the lamination strips extend into 

the frame above the point at which the wedge joins the side-forming strip. 

This is the main patent claim. 

Horsman racket, Clermont, made c. 

1912. Its laminated wedge is not made 

according to any patent yet known. 

9

Book of Tennis Rackets Technical Tables and Terminology 

Update 

Additional information to page 49 and 

50: 

Technical Tables and 

Terminology of Racket 

Components 

Terminology: 

Fellow collector Christopher Elks 

provided the following information 

with regard to the naming of the parts 

of a racket shown in the drawing on 

page 50 of the book. He writes: 

“I have made you a photocopy 

because some of the terminology was 

quite new to me.” 

Excerpt from 

“The Cavendish Rules of 1886”: 

“The racket should be of the shape 

shown in the annexed cut: 

It should be 27 in. long, and should 

weigh about 14 1/2 oz. 

The frame should be of well seasoned 

ash, the stringing of good catgut. The 

portion marked A is called the head; 

the face (i.e., the part of the head 

which is strung), should be about 11 

in. long (or including the centrepiece 

down to the neck, 13 in. long), and 

about 8 3/4 in. at its widest part, 

outside measurement. The piece 

marked B is called the neck; it should 

be about 4 in. long. The remainder, 

marked C, is called the legs (before 

the centrepiece is inserted). The legs 

should be about 10 in. long. With the 

centrepiece, this portion is called the 

handle. At the free end of the handle 

a piece of leather should be fixed to 

prevent the racket from slipping out 

of the hand.” 

Racket according to “The Cavendish Rules of 1886” 

Materials: 

Ebonite – Vulcanite 

Hard rubber. This material can be 

considered as a material halfway 

between plastic and natural rubber. 

During the prolonged vulcanisation 

process, 30-40% sulphur is added to 

the mass. This is an extension of the 

technique used to manufacture car 

tyres, only with more sulphur and heat 

being applied. The result is ‘Ebonite 

or Vulcanite’ which is hard and rigid. 

Both names are correct. There seems 

to be a small difference between the 

two in their chemical compositions. In 

Europe the term ‘Ebonite’ is more 

common, in the U.S.A. the term 

‘Vulcanite’ is usually applied. It has a 

bright and shiny appearance with a 

black or sometimes reddish colour 

depending on the pigments added. In 

the past it was used e.g. for telephone 

receivers, electrical insulators, 

chemical resistant linings, cigarette 

cases, combs, buttons, jewellery, 

fountain pens, musical instruments, 

denture plates and sometimes 

(although rarely) also for the heart 

pieces of rackets. Its main 

disadvantage is the fact that it can 

discolour with exposure to air and 

water turning to a chocolate brown 

colour. It can also get brittle when 

exposed to direct sunlight. 

Charles Goodyear from the U.S.A. had 

discovered the vulcanisation of 

natural rubber with sulphur about 

1839. 

Vulcan Fibre 

(or Vulcanised Fibre) 

The basic paper is made from cotton 

material, processed to release the cellulose 

fibres. This paper is immersed 

in a bath of zinc chloride, which 

softens the fibres until they are gelatinous. 

Rinsing in water leaches out the 

zinc chloride. Multiple paper sheets 

with their gelatinous surfaces will then 

be bonded together by pressing and 

application of heat. 

A common thickness of the stripes 

obtained by this process used as layers 

in laminated rackets is about 0,2 to 

0,6 mm. 

Vulcanised fibre in different colours 

was popular in rackets from the 1930’s 

to the end of the wooden racket era in 

the 1980’s. 

It is questionable if this material added 

to the strength of a laminated racket. 

Wooden laminations of the same thickness 

were probably just as strong. 

In the 1940’s coloured wood layers 

were used in rackets (Cortland US- 

Patent No. 2 147 587, of Feb. 14, 1939). 

Sometimes it is impossible to determine 

by viewing if the layers are made 

of vulcanised fibre or coloured wood. 

Very thin layers 0,2 to 0,35 mm were 

most likely been made of vulcanised 

fibre. 

10

Book of Tennis Rackets US Patents 

Additional US Patents 

not covered in the book: 

1939: 

2 165 701 

Application filed November 26, 1938 

Patented July 11, 1939 

Racket 

6 claims 

Abstract: ...the main strings extend 

through the throat piece into the upper 

part of the handle where they are 

secured... 

Inventor: Henry Goerke, New York, 

N.Y. 

Update 

1944: 

2 339393 

Application filed July 19, 1940 

Patented Jan. 18, 1944 

Strengthened Playing Racket 

3 claims 

Abstract: ...a playing racket with a 

bow joining with the throat member in 

corner portions where wooden 

strengthening members extend across 

said corners the grain of which running 

substantially perpendicular to the 

grain of the underlying bow and throat 

members... 

Inventor: Horace W. Hall, Newton 

Mass. 

1940: 

2 206 548 

Application filed June 17, 1939 


Racket 

6 claims 

Abstract: ...the endless strings are led 

around means in the frame (e.g. rollers) 

and passed through the throat piece 

into the upper part of the handle where 

they may be slung around the opening 

of a tightening bolt in order to adjust 

the tension of the strings... 

Inventor: Henry Goerke, New York, 

N.Y. 

1940: 

2 201 263 


Patented May 21, 1940 

Playing Racket 

8 claims 

Abstract: ...a playing racket with a 

handle with cover pieces (flakes) on 

both sides terminating at a substantial 

distance from the throat having one 

or more wooden reinforcing plates 

beyond these cover pieces the grain 

of which running substantially across 

said handle... 

Inventor: Horace W. Hall, Newton 

Mass. 

11

Book of Tennis Rackets US Patents 

Please add the picture below to 

page 530. 

US Patent 1 539 019, applied for in 

Feb. 7, 1924 

Update 

Please add to patent No. 5 183 260 on 

page 594: 

5 183 260 

Application filed Jan. 31, 1992 

Patented Feb. 2, 1993 

5 claims 

Tennis Racket 

Abstract: A tennis racket with two 

handles angled from the racket head 

with an angle of ten to forty degrees. 

The handles are mounted onto the 

throat of the racket parallel to one 

another. The player grips the racket 

with two hands in a comfortable manner 

and allows him to hit the ball out 

in front of his body. 

Inventor: Elie B. Kheir, 

2825 Downing Cir., Birmingham, Ala. 

The design of this racket was way ahead of its time. The weight is only 12 oz., 

with the centre of gravity measured from the butt end 16 instead of the 

conventional 13 inches. It was claimed that the racket developed a striking 

force only comparable to a much heavier racket weighing 14 oz. 

The racket was built to demonstrate the feasibility of this interesting invention. 

Please add the picture below to 

page 574. 

US Patent 3 647 211, applied for in 

June 8, 1970 

Remark by the author: 

A racket of this design with the name 

Inova was distributed in the mid 1990’s. 

This design refers to a changing flexibility along the length of the racket, which 

is made of plastic. This idea was taken up in many racket developments in the 

decades to come. The T-shaped head cross-section has apertures for the 

strings. The racket was constructed to comply with the original patent. 

12

Book of Tennis Rackets Australian Patents 

Australian Patents 

This section was contributed by 

Adrian Keats, Newtown, Victoria, 

Australia, Oct. 2001 

1921 

2594/21 

Date of application: 12th July, 1921 

Accepted: 7th June, 1922 

Improvements in the construction of 

rackets for tennis and other like 

games 

Abbreviated claim:...we form the rim 

of the racket entirely from thin strips 

of wood or other flexible material that 

are glued or otherwise secured tightly 

together. The strips are long enough 

to extend downwardly from the rim 

and to lie against the core of the handle, 

thus forming part thereof. The 

handle proper is therefore much 

smaller than the ordinary handle, and 

is flared outwardly at the top where it 

enters the rim, the joints being 

reinforced in the usual way… 

Inventors: Alfred Alexander Jr., 

Technical School Instructor, and 

Douglas Davey Alexander, 

Carpenter, both of Elphin Road, 

Launceston, Tasmania. 

1926 

4652/26 

Date of application: 

24th November, 1926 

Accepted: 22nd November, 1927 

Improved tennis racket and process 

for manufacturing same 

Abbreviated claim: … relates to an 

improved process for the manufacture 

of rackets for tennis and other like 

games whereby rackets can be 

manufactured more cheaply and 

quickly than by the usual process and, 

moreover, a racket is obtained the rim 

or frame of which is less liable to split 

or warp while a standard or uniform 

weight can be secured without the 

necessity of planing down the 

wooden frame to obtain a correct 

weight or balance…the rim and handle 

core are fashioned from a plurality 

of superimposed thin wooden strips 

or laths which, when glued together, 

are cramped around a former in a dry 

state and before the glue has set to 

form the said rim and handle core… by 

bending the superimposed strips or 

laths to the shape of the rim and handle 

core while the glue between the 

opposing surfaces thereof is still warm 

or unset… the said strips or laths 

readily conform to the requisite shape 

without splitting and take a permanent 

and standard form when the glue 

has set…The features of this 

invention allow for mass production 

Update 

of rackets and dispense to a great 

extent with skilled labour… 

Inventors: The Alexander Patent Racket 

Company Limited, 

Launceston, Tasmania. 

1945 

129,588 

Date of application: 

21st December, 1945 

Accepted: 21st October, 1948 

Improvements relating to the handles 

of tennis rackets and the like 

13

Book of Tennis Rackets Australian Patents 

Abbreviated claim: …the hollow handle 

is closed by a wooden dowel at the 

outer end, the dowel including a leaded 

recess to constitute the balance 

weight. A leatherette cap is arranged 

about the butt end of the handle to 

cover the dowel, and a spiral wrapped 

leather grip is wound upon the handle, 

the end of which is covered by a 

leather knobbing tacked to the leather 

grip and handle to maintain the cap 

grip and knobbing in attachment to 

the handle…there is provided 

according to this invention, a 

preformed cap composed of resilient 

material having a force fit upon or 

about the end of the handle, and a 

centrally disposed core section of 

similar resilient or flexible material integral 

with the cap and projecting into 

and fitting the bore of the handle. The 

length of the core section is 

commensurate with or dependent upon 

the balance weight required… 

Inventors: Dunlop Rubber Australia 

Limited, Flinders Street, Melbourne, 

Victoria. 

the production and application of the 

grip to the handle, according to this 

invention, a grip… comprises a split 

sleeve of flexible or resilient material 

wrapped around and adhered to the 

external surface of the handle with the 

sides of the sleeve recessed into and 

adhered to the wall or walls of a groove 

in the handle. In this construction, the 

original pattern of the grip is retained 

and the one piece construction of the 

sleeve prevents curling and 

discomfort to the user… 

Inventors: Dunlop Rubber Australia 

Limited, Flinders Street, Melbourne, 

Victoria. 

Update 

1946 

128,601 

Date of application: 17th April, 1946 

Accepted: 2nd August, 1948 

Improvements relating to the handles 

of tennis or like rackets or bats 

Abbreviated claim: … with the 

objective of providing an effective 

durable grip and attendant 

simplification and cost reduction in 

14

Book of Tennis Rackets English Patents 

Please add to 

English Patents 

page 487 and 488: 

1881 

No. 662 

Date of application 16th February, 1881 

Accepted 12th August, 1881 

Improvements in Handles for Rackets 

or Lawn Tennis Bats 

1 claim 

Abbreviated claim: ...these improvements 

relate to the form of the handle. 

There are three positions of the hand 

upon the bat handle: service stroke at 

the end, volley stroke at the middle 

and a short twist stroke at the end 

nearest to the face.This invention 

provides three bulges on the handle 

to enable the player to precisely find 

the proper hand position ... 

Inventor: Otway Edward Woodhouse, 

20, Upper Phillimore Gardens, Ken, in 

the County of Middlesex. 

(rackets with this design were made 

by Ayres F.H., Ltd. - page 72 in the 

Book - “The Triple Handled”. 

1883 

No. 2954 

This Invention received Provisional 

Protection only. 

Date of application: 14th June, 1883 

Accepted same date. 

Lawn Tennis Bats 

Abstract: 

The object of this invention is to impart 

additional strength to a lawn tennis 

bat combined with increased lightness 

and resiliency. I line the frame of the 

bat with cane-horn-whale bone or any 

other material uniting lightness and 

elasticity with strength. I also 

dispense with a portion of the wood 

framing and substitute cork therefore. 

Inventor: Albert Joseph Altman, of 

the Parish of St. Botolph, Aldersgate, 

London 

Please note: This old English Patent 

was discovered by Michael Searle, 

Oxford, England, who also provided a 

copy for use in this book. 

Update 

Please note: A copy of this old English 

Patent was provided by G.N. Gurney. 

15

Book of Tennis Rackets Photodecal Picture Rackets 

Additional information to pages 607- 

609: 

Miscellanies 

Photodecal Picture Rackets 

Definitions by Randy Crow: 

A “photodecal” or “picture” racket is 

one that has an identifiable likeness 

(usually a photograph) of the endorser 

on the handle or throat of the racket. 

There is usually a facsimile signature 

of the endorser, as well. 

An endorsed racket that doesn’t have 

a likeness on it is classified a 

“signature” racket, which is a different 

category. 

Update 

Mulligan, Marty – Donnay – c. 1968 

With kind permission of Randy Crow: 

Please add to the table on page 608: 

Barnes, Bruce 

add manufacturer Harry Lee 

Borg, Bjorn – Donnay 

Champion Wimbledon: 1976 to 1980 

Davidson, Owen – Spalding 

(Belgium) 

Champion French Open: 1957 

Hillebrand, John – Hillebrand 

(Australia) 

Jacobs, Helen Hull – Kennedy 

Champion Wimbledon: 1936 

Lundqvist, Jan Erik, Match – Donnay 

MacKay, Barry – Wilson 

Ranks USTA No. 1 in 1960. US-Pro 

Exhibition: 1961, 1963 

Marie, Shirley – Trio 

Meyerson, Ed – Spalding 

Mulligan, Marty – Donnay 

Newcombe, John – Slazenger 

Champion Wimbledon: 1967, 1970 and 

1971 

Olmedo, Alex – 

add manufacturer Pennant 

Panatta, Adriano – WIP (Italy) 

Champion French Open: 1976 

Parker, Frank – 

add manufacturer Draper & Maynard 

Tilden, Bill – 

add manufacturer Bancroft 

Wagner, Honus – 

Wagner Sporting Goods 

Court, Magaret – Chemold – c. 1970 

Laver, Rod – Dunlop – c. 1970 

Please note: 

Please change name on page 125 

(heading under photograph lower left) 

from Culligan to Mulligan) 

Marty Mulligan, an Australian tennis 

player, was finalist at Wimbledon 

losing to Rod Laver in 1962. He won 

the River Oaks Tournament in 

Houston, in 1966. 

Goolagong, Evonne – Dunlop 

She used this specific racket at the 

Federation Cup in Bad Homburg in 

1978 

16


Update 

Lundqvist, Jan Erik, – Match – Donnay, 

laminated frame, standard size. 

Estimated: 1978 

Courtesy: Dr. H. Kerling 

Gonzales – Spalding – c. 1965 

Rosewall, Ken – Slazenger – c. 1960 

Budge, Don – Match Point – Wilson 

c. 1950 

Rosewall, Ken – Seamco – c. 1962 

Budge, Don – Ghost – Spalding – 

c. 1950 

17


Update 

Wilson: Hardwick, Mary – Valiant 

1968 (courtesy Dr. H. Kerling) 

Please substitute table on Wilson Photodecal Picture Rackets (page 609). The rackets in the collection of Hans von 

Buxhoeveden, fellow collector, were added. 

Wilson Photodecal Picture Rackets 

an excerpt from available catalogues – not complete – and from the Hans von Buxhoeveden collection, year 

2000 (B), by courtesy 

Wilson Model from to Wilson Model from to 

Alice Marble Autograph Australian Model 1942 Ellsworth Vines Championship (B) ~ 1940 

Alice Marble Finalist (B) ~ 1942 Ellsworth Vines Finalist 1942 

Alice Marble Invincible 1941 1943 Ellsworth Vines International 1939 1941 

Alice Marble Match Play 1942 Ellsworth Vines Master 1940 

Alice Marble Professional Australian Model 1942 Ellsworth Vines Match Play 1942 1946 

Alice Marble Signature 1941 1949 Ellsworth Vines Model A 1936 

Alice Marble Superstroke 1942 1948 Ellsworth Vines Model AA 1935 1936 

Barry MacKay ~ 1965 Ellsworth Vines Professional 1939 

Billie Jean King Valiant (promotional selling) (B) 1961 1971 Ellsworth Vines Registered Personal Model 1935 1939 

Billie Jean King, King Cup (B) 1961 1971 Ellsworth Vines Scholastic 1942 

Bobby Riggs Bombardier 1943 Ellsworth Vines Signature 1942 1948 

Bobby Riggs Finalist (B) ~ 1950 Ellsworth Vines Superstroke 1942 

Bobby Riggs Golden State 1948 1950 Ellsworth Vines Tournament 1941 

Bobby Riggs Match Play 1948 1950 Jack Kramer Ace (B) ~ 1968 

Bobby Riggs Top Notch 1943 Jack Kramer Cup (for promotional selling) 1968 1969 

Bruce Barnes International 1940 1941 Jack Kramer Imperial (B) ~ 1968 

Bruce Barnes Match Play 1942 Jack Kramer Personal (B) ~ 1968 

Bruce Barnes National Open 1939 Jack Kramer Speed Flo (B) ~ 1968 

Bruce Barnes Professional 1938 Jack Kramer Top Notch (B) ~ 1968 

Bruce Barnes Scholastic 1942 Jack Kramer Valiant (for promotional selling) 1968 1969 

Bruce Barnes Strokemaster 1938 Mary Hardwick Finalist 1942 1950 

Bruce Barnes Superstroke 1942 Mary Hardwick Matchpoint (B) 1950 

Don Budge Allstar 1940 1941 Mary Hardwick Personal 1946 

Don Budge Court Star (B) ~ 1940 Mary Hardwick Scholastic 1942 

Don Budge Finalist 1942 1949 Mary Hardwick Valiant (for promotional selling) 1968 1969 

Don Budge Ghost 1939 1940 Mary K. Browne International 1940 1941 

Don Budge International 1943 Mary K. Browne Master 1942 

Don Budge Master 1940 Mary K. Browne Tournament 1941 

Don Budge Phantom 1939 1940 Maureen Connolly Courtstar (B) ~ 1965 

Don Budge Signature 1942 1943 Maureen Connolly Cup (for promotional selling) 1968 1969 

Don Budge Superstroke 1946 1949 Maureen Connolly Mercury (B) ~ 1965 

Don Budge Tournament 1941 Maureen Connolly Personal (B) ~ 1965 

Eleanor Tennant Allstar 1940 1941 Maureen Connolly Stylist (for promotional selling) 1968 1969 

Ellsworth Vines Allstar 1940 1941 Tony Trabert Stylist (for promotional selling) 1968 1969 

Ellsworth Vines Autograph 1940 Tony Trabert Victory (B) ~ 1968 

Ellsworth Vines California 1935 

Ellsworth Vines Blue Ace 1935 

18


Update 

Photograph of person on the racket Years made Manufacturer Some Rackets were added from 

c. from c. to the collection of Hans von Buxhoeveden 

Barnes, Bruce 1938 1942 Wilson See also Wilson table 

Barnes, Bruce 1939 1942 Davega Imperial 

Barnes, Bruce 1939 1942 Kent 

Barnes, Bruce ~ 1940 Lee, Harry Monogram 

Barnes, Bruce ~ 1940 Brine, W.H. 

Bolton, Nancye 1960 Spalding Australia Davis Cup 

Borg, Bjorn ~ 1980 Donnay 

Browne, Mary K. 1938 1941 Wilson See also Wilson table 

Budge, Don 1939 1949 Wilson See also Wilson table 

Budge, Don 1960’s Regent Jaguar, Topstar, Full Overlay, Driver, 

Tournament, Court Star, Personal, Contender, 

Don Budge Personal, Super Star 

Budge, Don 1960’s Pennant 

Budge, Don 1945 Spalding Great Britain 

Budge, Don 1945 Spalding Australia 

Budge, Don 1950 Spalding Ghost 

Budge, Don 

Viscount 

Cochet, Henri 1935 1937 Chicago Sports Equip. 

Cochet, Henri 1935 1937 Wilson See also Wilson table 

Connolly, Maureen 1957 1969 Wilson See also Wilson table 

Cooke, Sarah Palfrey 1950 MacGregor 

Court, Margaret (Smith) 1970 Chemold Champion Signature series, Tournament 

Court, Margaret (Smith) 1970 Slazenger Australia 

Davidson, Owen ~ 1960 Spalding 

Didrickson, Babe (Zaharias) 1938 Goldsmith 

Edwards, Stan 

Symonds (India) 

Evert, Chris 1977 Dunlop 

Forgie, Hugh* 1970 Trio Hollander *Canadian Badminton Professional, Thunderball 

Froehling, Frank 1965 Dunlop 

Gonzales, Pancho 1957 1965 Spalding Top Flite, Signature, Tournament 

Gonzales, Pancho 1957 1965 Wright & Ditson Signature 

Goolagong, Evonne 1975 1977 Dunlop Signature 

Hardwick, Mary 1942 1969 Wilson See also Wilson table 

Hillebrand, John ? Hillebrand (Australia) 

Hoad, Lew 1960 Dunlop 

Hoad, Lew 1962 1970 Conquest 

Hunter, Frank 1938 Ken Wel 

Jakobs, Helen Hull ~ 1940 Kennedy 

Jennings, George 

Wright & Ditson 

King, Billie Jean 1963 1975 Wilson See also Wilson table 

King, Billie Jean 1978 1980 Bancroft Wimbledon 

Kramer, Jack 1949 1969 Wilson See also Wilson table 

Laver, Rod 1968 Chemold 

Laver, Rod 1960 Dunlop Rod Laver 

Lott, George 1935 Spalding 

Lott, George 1935 Wright & Ditson 

Lundqvist, Jan-Erik 1978 Donnay 

MacKay, Barry ~ 1965 Wilson See also Wilson table 

Marie, Shirley ? Trio 

Marble, Alice 1941 1955 Wilson See also Wilson table 

McEnroe, John 

Dunlop Australia 

Meyerson, Ed ? Spalding 

Molinari, J.C. 

Gauthier Fils & Co. 

Moran, Gussy 1950 Dunlop Australia 

Mottram, Tony 1960 Spalding Great Britain 

Mulligan, Martin ~ 1955 Donnay 

Najuch-Extra 1950 Gebr. Hammer Photo in the section Gebr. Hammer of this Update 

Namath, Joe 1970 Franklin 

Newcombe, John ~ 1972 Slazenger 

Okker, Tom 1970 Dunlop 

Olmedo, Alex 1960 1965 Regent Olmedo Chief 

Olmedo, Alex ~ 1965 Pennant 

Orantes, Manuel 1975 Slazenger 

Overton, Wendy 1975 Bancroft Love Caseys 

Pails, Dinny ~ 1950 Hedley Sporting Goods 

Panatta, Adriano ~ 1980 WIP (Italy) 

Parker, Frank ~ 1950 Draper & Maynard 

Parker, Frank 1950 MacGregor Championship 

Perry, Fred 1940 Fred Perry 

Perry, Fred 1940 Slazenger Australia 

Renwal, Ellen 1965 Regent Ellen Renwal 

Richards, Vinnie 1938 Dunlop 

Riessen, Marty 1969 Dunlop Autograph, Advisory Staff Model 

Riggs, Bobby 1943 1950 Wilson See also Wilson table 

Rosewall, Ken 1960 Slazenger US Champion Tournament Model (K) 

Rosewall, Ken 1962 Seamco 

Sedgman, Frank 1954 1958 Wilson See also Wilson table 

Segura, Pancho 1950 Spalding 

Segura, Pancho 1950 Wright & Ditson 

Stoefen, Les 1935 1940 Spalding 

Stoefen, Les 1935 1940 Wright & Ditson 

Taylor, Roger 1975 Slazenger 

Tennant, Eleanor 1940 1941 Wilson See also Wilson table 

Tilden, Bill ~ 1935 Bancroft 

Tilden, Bill 1935 1940 Spalding 

Tilden, Bill 

Dunlop 

Trabert, Tony 1956 1969 Wilson See also Wilson table 

Vines, Ellsworth 1935 1942 Wilson See also Wilson table 

Vines, Ellsworth 

Lowe & Campbell 

Wagner, Honus ? Wagner-Traynor Co. 

Whalen, Joe 1941 1945 Cortland American Driver 

Williams, Ted 1961 Sears Roebuck 

19

Additional Photodecal Rackets (2008) 

It is strongly recommended to the serious collector of 

Photodecal Picture Rackets to consult the book of 

Randy Crow “Player Endorsed Tennis Rackets”, 

published 2008 by Bowser Publication, contact email 

address: photodecalguy@aol.com. 

The book also deals with Signature Rackets (rackets with 

an endorser’s complete name) and Tennis Ball Containers. 

The rackets below are from this book and not listed or 

covered sufficiently in the previous tables: 

Player Manufacturer Model Year 

Bruce Barnes Tryon Ace 1935 

Stewart 1935 

Bill Beckmann Spalding 1960 

Björn Borg Bancroft Wimbledon 1975 

Mary K. Browne Wright & Ditson Newport 1950 

Don Budge Pinguin Tournament 1960 

Regent Personal 1965 

Margaret Court Town & Country Signature 1975 

Harry Cowles Halkin Newport 1935 

Halkin Squash 1935 

Gianni Cucelli Maxima Davis Cup 1960 

Doris Hart Spalding (Aus) Autograph 1955 

Heinz Heinlinson Donnay Chief 1970 

John Hillebrand Hillebrand 1965 

Lew Hoad Hoad Autograph 1980 

Hoad International 1980 

Hoad Junior 1980 

Jan Erik Lundquist Tretorn Standard 1970 

Shirley Marie Mans Trio Hollander Courtstar 1975 

Ed Meyerson Spalding 1965 

J.C. Molinari Gauthier Davis Cupman 1970 

George O’Connell Unknown 1945 

Yvon Petra Montana Wimbledon 1960 

Frank Sedgman Oliver 1960 

lonTiriac Dunlop Maxply 1970 

TonyTrabert Wilson Victory 1955 

Wilson Stylist 1960 

Ellsworth Vines Spalding (Aus) Personal 1945 

Honus Wagner Wagner-Traynor Wagner 1935 

Additional rackets listed in www.tennisitaliano.it: 

Nicola Pietrangeli Maxima Torneo c. 1970 

eBay auction 2008: 

Asbóth, József ? Asbóth József c. 1950 


Spalding: 

George Lott, Photodecal Picture 

Racket 

c. 1935 

Maxima: Pietrangeli, c. 1970, Photodecal Picture Racket 

Courtesy Randy Crow 

eBay 2007: 

Spalding: Bill Beckmann, c. 1960 

(Professional baseball player?). 

20

Book of Tennis Rackets Real Tennis 

Update 

Appendix, please add to page 631. 

Real Tennis, a sport that is played in some countries, especially in Great Britain, in the United States, 

France and Australia. 

Some information on Real Tennis, 

the game from which Lawn Tennis 

was devised. 

Real tennis courts in existence in 

2002: 

Real Tennis Clubs in Australia: 

1 Ballarat Tennis Club, Ballarat, 

Victoria, founded 1984 

2 Hobart Real Tennis Club, 

Hobart, Tasmania, since 1875 

3 Romsey Royal Tennis Club, 

Romsey, Victoria 

4 The Royal Melbourne Tennis 

Club, Melbourne, Victoria 

5 Sydney Real Tennis Club, 

Sydney, New South Wales 

Real Tennis Clubs in France: 

1 Jeu de Paume et Squash de 

Bordeaux, Bordeaux 

2 Cercle du jeu de Paume de 

Fontainebleau, Fontainebleau 

3 Société Sportive de Jeu de 

Paume et de Racquets, Paris 

Real Tennis Clubs in England and 

Scotland: 

1 Bristol & Bath Tennis Club – 

Bristol 

2 The Burroughs Club – 

Hendon, London 

3 Cambridge University Tennis 

Court – Cambridge, 

Cambridgeshire 

4 Canford School – 

Wimborne Minster, Dorset 

5 Falkland Palace – 

Fife, Scotland 

6 The Harbour Club – 

Fulham, London 

7 Hardwick House Tennis Club – 

Whitchurch, Berkshire 

8 Hatfield House Tennis Club – 

Old Hatfield, Hertfordshire 

9 Holyport Real Tennis Club – 

Holyport, Berkshire 

10 Hyde Tennis Club – 

Bridport, Dorset 

11 Jesmond Dene Tennis Club – 

Newcastle, Northumberland 

12 Leamington Tennis Court Club – 

Leamington, Warwickshire, 

since 1846 

13 Manchester Tennis & Racquet 

Club – Manchester, Lancashire 

14 MCC – St Johns Wood, London 

15 Moreton Morrell Tennis Court 

Club Moreton Morrell, 

Warwickshire 

16 Newmarket & Suffolk Real 

Tennis Club – 

Newmarket, Suffolk 

17 The Oratory School – 

Woodcote, Berkshire 

18 Oxford University Tennis Court – 

Oxford, Oxfordshire, since 1595 

and on its current site since 1798 

19 Petworth House Tennis Court – 

Petworth, Sussex 

20 The Prested Hall Rackets Club – 

Feering, Essex 

21 The Queen’s Club – 

West Kensington, London 

22 The Royal Tennis Court – 

Hampton Court, Surrey, 

since1530 

23 Seacourt Tennis Court – 

Hayling Island, Hampshire 

Real Tennis Clubs in the United 

States: 

1 The Aiken Tennis Club – Aiken, 

South Carolina 

2 The Boston Tennis & Racquet 

Club – Boston, Massachusetts 

3 The Georgian Court – Lakewood, 

New Jersey 

4 The Greentree Court – 

Manhasset Long Island, New York 

5 The National Tennis Club – 

Newport, Rhode Island 

6 The Racquet Club of 

Philadelphia – Philadelphia, 

Pennsylvania 

7 The Tuxedo Club – Tuxedo, 

New York 

8 The International Tennis Club of 

Washington – 

Washington, Virginia 

How to play Real Tennis? 

Excerpt from “Hazard Chase” by 

Jeremy Potter, Constable and 

Company Ltd., London, 1964, page 

191 and 192: 

Tennis is the game from which lawn 

tennis was devised. Often called real 

tennis, royal tennis or in America court 

tennis, it is played in an indoor court. 

The ball is hit backwards and forward 

across a net with a racket, either full 

toss or first bounce. The scoring is 

the one used in lawn tennis. 

The walls of the court are not plain flat 

surfaces. Three of them are broken by 

sloping penthouses just above headhigh 

(these roofs as well as the walls 

above and below are in play), and all 

four contain hazards: 

The side galleries below the 

penthouse roof the openings of which 

with nettings at the back to stop the 

balls and protect the spectators. 

The dedans at one end below the 

penthouse roof the openings of which 

with nettings at the back to stop the 

balls and protect the spectators. 

The grille, which is a square opening 

at one end with a wooden back. 

The tambour, which consists of a 

projection of the wall, which causes 

the ball to fly off at an angle. 

Service is always from the same side 

of the court and does not alternate 

with each game, a change of service 

being brought about only by the laying 

of a chase. This is done by the striker 

returning the ball over the net in such 

a way that his opponent misses it: a 

chase is then laid at the point where 

the ball hits the floor on its second 

bounce. 

The floor of the court at the service is 

marked in yards from the back wall, 

and if the second bounce falls on the 

four-yard line ‘chase four’ is called by 

the marker. The point is not won by 

the striker, but held in abeyance until 

either of the player reaches forty or 

until two chases have been made. 

They then change ends, and the player 

who was serving before and is now 

receiving service has to return the ball 

so that the second bounce falls less 

21

Book of Tennis Rackets Real Tennis 

Update 

Penthouse Galleries 

Side Galleries 

Penthouse Grille 

Tambour 

Hazard Side 

Grille 

Service Side 

The Ancient Club at Lord’s 

than four yards from the back wall. If 

he succeeds or if his opponent hits 

the ball but fails to return it over the 

net he wins the chase and with it the 

point. If the second bounce falls 

further than four yards from the back 

wall or if he fails to return the ball at all 

he loses it. 

At more than six yards from the wall 

the chases are named after the side 

galleries – last gallery, second gallery, 

the door and first gallery. These being 

a long way from the back wall are bad 

chases. 

To distinguish it from the service end 

this is known as the hazard side, and 

when the second bounce of a shot 

from the player on the service side 

falls in the half of the hazard side 

nearer to the net a hazard chase is laid. 

The other, or back, half of the hazard 

side is the ‘winning area’, and here – 

as in the dedans, the grille and the 

winning gallery – a point is won 

outright. 

Although points are won and lost as 

in lawn tennis when players hit the 

ball into the net or out of play, the 

distinctive features of tennis are the 

hazards and the chases. To lay a good 

chase – the best is better than half a 

yard – requires great control of length, 

speed and cut, and the combination of 

hazards and chases offers an 

enormous variety of possible strokes. 

Moreover, the ball, which is like a 

lawn tennis ball but solid, may be 

chopped, cut, twisted or topped so 

that it behaves in weird and widely 

differing ways after contact with a 

wall. The best tennis players literally 

stroke the ball rather than hit it. 

22

Book of Tennis Rackets the biggest racket 

Update 

Appendix, please add to page 631 

The biggest racket so far made 

(until 2006) 

This racket was made by Siegfried 

Kuebler and Anton Binder in 2001. It 

is a copy of the Kuebler Big Point 125 

racket enlarged 1 : 10. 

It has an overall length of 7,20 m, 

weighs about 120 kg, was made of 

fibre glass embedded in epoxy and 

can be dismantled into two pieces for 

easier transportation. 

It required 130 m of 12 mm thick Nylon 

rope to string. 

It qualified for the Guinness Book of 

Records (German edition) in 2003. 

23

Book of Tennis Rackets Vibration Dampers 

Appendix, please add to page 631 

The Colourful World of Vibration 

Dampers 

Did you ever notice or do you have 

any written evidence of a vibration 

damper clamped to the strings or the 

frame of a racket used or shown prior 

to 1920? If so, please contact me. 

It is questionable, however, if there 

for by the American Albert Brown 

Hilton Jr. of Dayton, Ohio, in 1926. A 

corresponding US Patent to the 

German one could not be discovered. 

In the description of this patent citing 

prior art it states: 

“It is well known that the strings can 

be covered with rubber hoses in order 

to absorb unpleasant vibrations and 

the ‘singing’ of the strings. However, 

Update 

It is not astonishing when people 

using such rackets looked for simple 

ways to solve this problem as Mr. 

Brown did. In 1932 a certain Samuel C. 

Allen invented the first removable and 

replaceable damper made of a 

‘resilient’ material. It was mounted 

into the throat area of the metal racket. 

For this damper he obtained US Patent 

No. 1,869,083. He assigned it, not to 

Damper with the Wilson W-Logo with 

grooves around to be fitted between two 

strings, c. 1995 

was a need for them then, since 

wooden rackets with their relatively 

thick strings did not produce that 

cracking, unpleasant sound as metal 

strung rackets or sometimes composite 

rackets do when a ball hits the strings. 

On the contrary: A tightly strung 

wooden racket was supposed to ‘sing’ 

when plucked by fingers or hit by a 

ball. That tone should be of a pure 

nature – sine wave-like. This tone 

was considered to be a sign of quality 

for the stringing job and the natural 

gut, never equalled by the later 

upcoming synthetic gut, the sound of 

which is lower and dull. 

In my research, which I have 

conducted I found the first reference 

to the vibration dampening properties 

of rubber on strings of a racket in the 

German Patent No. 463,997, applied 

Damper of circular shape with grooves 

around to be fitted between two strings, 

c. 2003 

the rubber will get brittle and hard in 

a short time, losing its dampening 

properties and it will get damaged and 

will come off when the ball hits the 

strings once and again.” 

It is quite conceivable that Mr. Brown 

of Dayton applied for his patent 

(explained in more detail in the 

following patent section) in view of 

the metal rackets with piano wire 

strings made and sold in large 

quantities by the Dayton Racquet 

Corporation located in the same area 

where he lived. 

Did you ever use a racket strung with 

such wire in your tennis career? The 

high pitch coming off the strings when 

hit by a ball disturbs the player 

considerably and even a modern 

vibration damper will usually not 

suffice to dampen out all the noises. 

Circular damper of ornamental design 

with grooves around to be squeezed 

between two strings, c. 1996 

our surprise, to the Dayton Racquet 

Company. May be he was even an 

employee of this company. 

Many years followed before the idea 

of the vibration dampers was taken up 

again. This time it concerned 

removable strips of rubber to be 

interlaced with the strings. This was 

Clorence H. Forbes idea and it was 

patented in 1956, US Patent No. 

2,732,209. 

René Lacoste’s French Patent No. 

1.308.833, filed in 1964, represented a 

vibration damper made from flexible 

material in the form of a toric shape, with 

grooves to fix it into the stringing of the 

racket. These round ‘cable grommets’ 

were readily available in hardware stores 

and were made of an age and light 

resisting rubber blend. 

Rubber strip damper to be interlaced 

between strings and fastened by means 

of hooks at both ends. A rubber button is 

located additionally at the centre, c. 1997 

Damper consisting of a block of Silicon 

Rubber with slits to be mounted on 8 

parallel strings, c. 1999 

Corrugated rubber strip damper to be 

interlaced between strings and fastened 

by means of hooks at both ends, c. 1995 

24


Is it pure coincidence that his 

invention of the round damper 

followed his patents on a metal racket 

a few years earlier which was made 

and sold worldwide by Wilson? 

Remember the T2000? The racket of 

Jimmy OConnors? The strings of metal 

rackets, especially those made of steel 

tube, seems to develop a pitch, which 

people don’t like. 

Now the way was shown and other 

developments and systems were soon 

on the market. They came in many 

shapes, in many colours and with 

different clamping systems to the 

strings. Mostly they were made of 

light- and weatherproof rubber, silicon 

rubber but rarely of synthetics. They 

could be as simple as a rubber cord 

wrapped around some strings. Usually 

they worked satisfactorily as long as 

at least two strings were coupled. The 

most effective position for dampening 

the pitch seems to be when the two 

centre mains directly above the throat 

are part of the coupling. All these 

dampers have one thing in common: 

The weight of the dampers ranges from 

1 to 5 grams. 

Owing to the low weight, the 

dampening device’s effectiveness on 

the lower frequency of the frame 

vibrations or oscillations (100 to 200 

cycles/s) is negligible contrary to 

many claims in their advertising or 

patents. 

Some damper developments with a 

higher weight of 8 to 10 grams, such as 

the Kuebler US Patent No. 5,792,011 

with movable lead pellets inside, may 

also slightly dampen the vibrations of 

frames especially those with their own 

high natural frequency in the 

neighbourhood of 200 cycles/s, only 

to be achieved with high-grade 

graphite fibres and a construction 

enhancing the stiffness of such 

frames. 

There is of course enough room for 

further improvements and 

Update 

developments. There seems to be no 

limit to the ingenuity and fantasy of 

mankind. 

The heading of this chapter was 

chosen to be: The colourful world of 

vibration dampers. With all the 

colours, shapes and working systems 

of such devices it certainly is justified. 

Square shaped rubber damper with 

grooves around to be squeezed between 

strings c. 1995 

Circular damper of ornamental design 

with grooves around to be squeezed 

between two strings, c. 1992 

Top: Ornamental design of a damper with 

grooves around, c. 1995. 

Bottom: Corrugated strip damper with 

centrepiece to be buttoned up around the 


‘Cable grommet’ rubber damper with 

grooves around to be squeezed between 

strings c. 1995 

25


Damper to be interlaced with the main 


1928: 

German Patent 463,997 

Application filed Nov. 8, 1926 


Schläger für Tennis u. dgl. 

(Tennis Racket) 

2 claims 

Abstract: ...a dampening tube made of 

textile fabric in a racket strung with 

metal strings. Preferably this tube 

should be mounted on the lowest cross 

strings of the racket... 

Inventor: Albert Brown Hilton Jr. 

Dayton, Ohio 

Update 

Fabric hose as vibration damper on the 

cross strings of a Dayton Racket c.1930 

‘Cable grommet’ damper according to 

Lacoste’s elapsed French patent, c. 1985 

textile fabric hose 

Remark: 

Rubber hoses as a dampening device 

are mentioned in the description of 

this patent. Rubber, it is pointed out, 

has the disadvantage of getting 

brittle in the course of time losing all 

its vibration dampening properties. 

No corresponding US Patent to the 

German one could be traced. 

1932: 

US Patent 1,869,038 

Application filed Sept. 30, 1929 


Tennis Racket 

Abstract: ...a resilient floating bridge 

with a pivot pin is removable mounted 

as a shock absorber for the vibrations 

of the strings in the throat of a 

racquet... 

Inventor: Samuel C. Allen 

Dayton Ohio 

Assignee: Dayton Racquet Company, 

Inc., Dayton, Ohio 

Four blocks of Silicon rubber to be fixed 

into five main strings. With Wilson logo, 

2004. 

pivot pin 

26


1956: 



Patented Jan. 24, 1956 

Flexible Wire Racket 

Abstract: ...a wire-strung racket gives 

off a ringing sound when contacting 

with a ball. Strips of material such as 

rubber interlaced with the strings will 

deaden this vibration. These strips 

are equipped at their ends with 

fasteners and will be mounted under 

tension... 

Inventor: Clorence H. Forbes 

Salt Lake City, Utah 

1965: 

France 1,398,833 

Application filed March 31, 1964 

Patented April 5, 1965 

Vibration Damper 

(Amortisseur de vibrations pour 

raquettes de tennis ou jeux analogue) 

2 claims 

Abstract: ...a vibration damper made 

of one piece of an elastic material 

shaped in a way to be anchored 

between the strings of a racket. The 

damper has a central hole to facilitate 

its mounting between the strings.... 

Inventor: Jean René Lacoste, resident 

en France (Seine) 

Update 

1976: 



Patented March 2, 1976 

Tennis Rackets and Similar Implements 

with Vibration Damper 

24 claims 

Abstract: ...a vibrating member as a 

vibration damper is attached rigidly 

to the racket at a point near an antinode 

in the longitudinal axis... 

Inventor: Francois René Lacoste 

Neuilly, Hauts de Seine, France 

rubber strips 

strings 

Remark: 

This rubber piece was nothing else 

but a standard ‘cable grommet’ of a 

suitable size available in hardware 

stores. Simple, cheap and perfectly 

working. This is another example of 

the ingenuity of René Lacoste who 

obtained about 65 patents in his 

lifetime. He was not only a great 

sportsman but also a great inventor. 

Damper attached rigidly to the handle of 

a racket. Wilson T 5000 c. 1978 

Remark: 

There was no audible reduction of the 

‘singing’ of the strings with this 

attachment not in contact with the 

strings. 

Damper to be interlaced with the 

main strings, c. 1998 

‘Cable grommet’ damper squeezed 

between two main strings, c. 1985 

27


1979: 

German Patent 27 52 673 



Freely translated: 

Tennis Racket 

2 claims 

Abstract: ...a grommet strip of an 

elastic material obtains flexible tubes, 

which extend into the strung area of a 

racket. These tubes in close contact 

with the strings act as vibration 

dampers... 

Inventor: Siegfried Kuebler 

Ueberlingen, Germany 

1979: 



Patented Dec. 25, 1979 

Implements for Striking a Ball 

11 claims 

Abstract: ...at least two longitudinal 

or transverse strings are mechanically 

coupled to each other by a vibration 

absorber... 

Inventor: Adolf Staufer 

Ried im Innkreis, Austria 

Assignee: Fischer GmbH 

Ried, Austria 

Update 

Damper mounted to the main strings 

according to this patent, c. 1984 

Damper according to this patent, c. 1979 

The damper below made by Dunlop 

was based on the Fischer 

development above, c. 1985 

Damper as an integral part of a grommet 

strip extending as tubes into the strings. 


28


1984: 

Germany Utility Patent 84 05 102 

(best to be compared with an American 

Design Patent) 

Application filed Feb. 20, 1984 

Issued April 12, 1984 


freely translated: 

10 claims 


of one piece of an elastic material with 

two legs as tubes to adapt two longitudinal 

strings, the legs, each having 

a hole to adapt a cross string, being 

connected at the end with a bridge... 

Assignee: Kneissl International 

GmbH, Taufkirchen, Germany 

1984: 

German Patent 34 43 009 

Application filed May 5, 1983 

Patented Nov. 28, 1984 

Freely translated: 

Bat for Balls 

in Particular Tennis Rackets 

freely translated 

3 claims 

Abstract: ...additional weights 

consisting of a resilient material and 

heavier metal to be squeezed into the 

open space of adjacent strings in the 

strung area of a racket where the ball 

does not hit the strings. Additional 

power is generated and the vibrations 

of the strings are absorbed... 

Inventor: Armin Dassler 

Herzogenaurach, Germany 

Assignee: Puma Sportschuhfabriken 

Rudolf Dassler, Herzogenaurach 

Update 

1984: 

Germany Utility Patent 84 32 521 

(best to be compared with an American 

Design Patent) 


Issued Dec. 20, 1984 

freely translated: 


1 claim 


of one piece of an elastic material 

shaped in a way to be anchored in 

longitudinal slits between the strings 

of a racket. The damper has two longitudinal 

holes to facilitate its mounting 

between the strings.... 

Inventor: Robaldo Aldo Michele 

Torino, Italy 

Damper according to this patent c. 1990 

Damper with metal knob according to 

this patent c. 1990 

29


1986: 




Racket with Elastic Vibration 

Damping Strip 

17 claims 

Abstract: ...a flexible strip clamped in 

the edge area of the strings through 

alternate crossing points of respective 

longitudinal and transverse strings... 

Inventor: Günter Adam, 

Straubing, Germany 

Assignee: Puma-KG, Germany 

1988: 



Patented Aug. 23, 1988 

Racket Vibration Dampener 

Combined with Grommet Strip 

6 claims 

Abstract: ...the vibration damper of 

an elastomeric, energy absorbing material 

is integral with a grommet strip 

which mates with the underside of the 

yoke of the racket and the string holes 

there through... 

Inventor: Richard Janes, 

Belchertown, Mass. 

Assignee: Spalding & Evenflo 

Companies, Inc. 

Tampa, Fla. 

Update 

1990: 


Application filed July 22, 1988 

Patented May 22, 1990 

Fluid Vibration Damper 

for Racquet 

14 claims 

Abstract: ...an elastic body with 

grooves around to be fitted between 

strings with a well which receives a 

damping fluid and a weight in the form 

of a lead or steel ball... 

Inventor: Bart A. Hillock, Santa 

Barbara, Calif. 

1990: 


Application filed May 9, 1988 


Vibration Dampers 

for Tennis Rackets 

9 claims 

Abstract: ...The damper includes two 

opposed plates with a connecting 

central body intersecting the strings 

of a racket. The damper receives a 

second pair or more of removable 

plates which can be readily added or 

removed to suit the player’s needs... 

Inventor: Louis Boschjan 

Villeneuve-Loubet, France 

Damper according to this patent c. 1992 

30


1990: 




Vibration Dampening Device 

for a Sports Racket Having a Strung 

Striking Surface 

18 claims 

Abstract: ...a flexible tubular member 

interwoven with the strings of a racket 

the ends of which fitted with hooklike 

anchoring elements for the strings. 

A viscoelastic energy-damping medium 

is encapsulated within the tube... 

Inventor: Harry M. Ferrari; 

John M. Shallenberger 

both of Pittsburgh, Pa. 

Assignee: Ferrari Importing 

Company, Pittsburgh, Pa. 

1992: 

US Patent Des 331,436 

Application filed June 20, 1990 

Patented Dec. 1, 1992 

Vibration Damper for a Racket Claim: 

The ornamental design for a vibration 

damper as shown and described. 

Inventor: Hiroo Yanahara 

Kobe, Japan 

Assignee: Phagason Co., Japan 

Update 

1993: 



Patented May. 18, 1993 

String Vibration Dampener 

for a Tennis Racquet 

11 claims 

Abstract: ...a vibration damper 

includes a thin, flexible strip with a 

massive donut shaped member at either 

end... 

Inventor: Stephen J. Davis, Yardley, 

Kenneth A. Stevens, Landsdale, both 

of Pa. 

Assignee: Prince Manufacturing, 

Inc., Princeton, N.J. 

damping medium 

donut shaped mass 



31


1998: 



Patented Aug. 11, 1998 


for Sports Racket 

7 claims 

Abstract: ...a vibration damper 

attached as an insert to the strings of 

a sport racket, that insert with an inside 

space or spaces to receive mass 

particles in particular lead shot ... 

Inventor: Siegfried Kuebler 

Ueberlingen, Germany 

1999: 


Application filed Dec. 11, 1997 

Patented Feb. 16, 1999 

Vibration Absorbing Device 

for the Strings or Frame of a Racket 

7 claims 

Abstract: ...a block of rubber or plastic 

having a centrally located mushroom 

shaped vibrator, this block having 

longitudinal recesses on opposite 

sides to fit between strings... 

Inventor: Kazumi Kimoto, Tokyo, 

Japan 

Assignee: Kimony’s Incorporated, 

Tokyo, Japan 

Update 

2002: 


Application filed Aug. 29, 2000 

Patented Sept. 10, 2002 


Using a Rotary Mechanism for All 

Tennis Rackets 

7 claims 

Abstract: ...anti vibration system that 

adapts to any tennis racket comprising 

a flexible element using another rigid 

element with a protruding part. When 

hit by a ball the protruding part rotates, 

however, being restrained by the 

distortion of the flexible element, it 

dissipates the vibratory energy of the 

racket... 

Inventor: Jean-Claude Bianchi, 

617, les Cabots 

Biot, France 

Strings 

mushroom shaped vibrator 

lead shot 

Damper according to the patent on the left 

side, c. 2000 

Amendment: 

Please change in the book on table 

page 627: 

Ivan Lendl first – 1984, last 1987, 

instead of 1884 and 1887. 

32

Book of Tennis Rackets Sporting Goods Stores 

Appendix 

Additional information. Please add to 

the list on page 623: 

Central Europe 

All sporting goods shops (retailers) 

prior to 1939: 

Albers, Joh. Wilhelm, Harburg a. E. 

Argartz, Wilhelm, Plauen i. V., 

c. 1925 

Behle, R., Frankfurt a. M., Kaiserstr. 

27 (1922) 

Beinhauer, R., Söhne, Neuerwall 59, 

Hamburg, Sportartikel aller Art (1906), 

gegründet 1828. 

Böhme, Robert, Dresden 

Büchner, Heinrich, Spezialgeschäft 

für Spiel und Sport, Regensburg 

(1910) 

Dandler Sport, Neustift 

Dzbanek, Sport, Praha 

Gebrüder Feisinger, Frankfurt a. M. 

and Berlin No. 43 

Gröger, Fritz H., Hamburg, Mönckebergstr. 

18, c. 1925, Generalvertreter 

und Fabrikniederlage von F.A. 

Davis, London. 

Hannemann, W., Köln, Zeppelinstr. 

„Schwerthof“ (1922) 

Hartig, Fritz (1926), please amend 

from Harlig to Hartig 

Hill u. Müller, Konstanz 

Hochenleitner, Josef, München, 

Kaufingerstr. 7 (1922) 

Jordan, Sporthaus, Berlin-Schöneberg, 

Hauptstr. 97, c. 1925 

Kamp, Carl, Herrenmoden, Augsburg 

Kessinger, Karl, 

fachmännische Tenniswerkstätte, 

München, Adalbertstr. 46 

Knothe, Sporthaus, Dresden A1, 

Galeriestr. 12/Ecke Frauenstraße 

Kreidl, Sporthaus, Leipzig/Dresden 

(1925) 

Kunze, Robert 

Dresden 

Lehfeldt, Heinrich 

Berlin, Kaiserdamm 112 

Mirau, Sporthaus, Berlin W 15, Kurfürstendamm 

185/186 

Münziger, Hermann, k.b. Hoflieferant, 

Neues Rathaus, München 

Neubauer, Josef – Troppau, 

Czechoslovakia – Sporting Goods 

Store 

Neufeld, E., Castrop-Rauxel 1, 

Ringstr. 33 

Oechsle, Albert, Sporthaus, Neu-Ulm 

Rau, Richard, Größtes Spezial-Tennishaus 

Berlins, Mitinhaber Willi 

Hannemann, Filiale Westen, Meineke 

Str. 2, Filiale Norden, Schönhauserallee 

45a (1922) 

Remde, Sporthaus, Eisennach, Johannisplatz 

11 (1925) 

Sauer, Franz, Abteilung Sport, Cöln 

und Aachen 

Steidel, A., Berlin, Rosenthalerstr. 34- 

35 and Tauentzienstr. 12 (1922) 

Stein & Co., GmbH., München, Marienplatz 

23, c. 1925. Alleinvertrieb der 

“Burke” Schläger. 

Süsskind, Jos., Hamburg, Hohe Bleichen 

31-32, „Brandenburgerhaus“, general 

agent for the Slazenger products 

in Germany (1922). 

Wagner, D.H., & Sohn, Spielwarenhandlung, 

Leipzig, Grimmaische Straße 

6 

France 

Laguin Sport, Le Havre 

Ad in“Tennis und Golf”, 1925). 

Update 

Please add to the list on page 624: 

Great Britain 

All sporting goods shops (retailers) 

prior to 1939: 

Auther Wright, c. 1900 

British Sports Depot, 

Bradford, c. 1915 

Goudie & Co., Edinborough, c. 1900 

Harvey, G., London, c. 1885 

Herberts Ltd., Eton, c. 1920 

Hobday Bros. Ltd. 

James, W. H. Ltd., London E.C. 

Johnson, Burton, and Theobald of 

Norwich, c. 1910 

Johnson, W.H., Sports Outfitters of 

Northampton, c. 1930 

Jones, Edwin, & Co. Ltd. 

Queens Building, Southampton 

Lewis Ltd., Liverpool, c. 1920 

Mead & Toomer, 

Southampton, c. 1910 

Mitchell of Manchester, c. 1900 

Moore C.A., Belvedere/London, 

c. 1880 

Murton’s of Newcastle and Sunderland, 

c. 1930 

New (The) Hudson Cycle Co., 

Luton, c. 1910 

Pearson R.H. & J., Eastbourne Ltd., 

c. 1890 

Pilch, R.G., Ltd. of Norwich, c. 1937 

Rodwell, Chas, 

London Bridge, c. 1905 

Said, Joseph, Malta 

Schreiber & Jones, c. 1937 

Seymour, Stan, Sports Centre 

Newcastle on Tyre 

Seymour, Jas., Sports Depot, 

35 B South St., Epsom 

Spiers & Pond Ltd., Sports Depot 

Queen Victoria ST. EC. 

Sports Ltd., Leicester, c. 1915 

Stockwin & Co., Birmingham, c. 1930 

The Sports Utilities Co. of Oldham, 

c. 1930 

Tydersley & Holborn, 

Manchester, c. 1910 

Wallis, Owen, Southend on Sea 

Walter Driver & Co., Weston Super 

Mare 

Ward C., Lawn-Tennis, Cricket & 

Football-Outfitter, Heckmondwike, 

Yorkshire, c. 1902 

Withnall C.J. and Sons Ltd., Sports 

Depot, Scarborough, c. 1920 

White, J.E., Sports‘ Outfitter, 22, Sankey 

Street, Warrington 

Whitson, Alex, Manchester, c. 1915 

33

Book of Tennis Rackets North American Rackets 

Update 

North American Rackets 

Abercrombie & Fitch 

Bailey’s Boston 

Bancroft Sporting Goods Company 

Bard Sports Corp. 

BioSports Corp. 

Bliss R.Manufacturing Co. 

Broadway Tennis Racket Mfg. Co. 

Burkhard, WM, R. 

California By-Products Co. 

Centurion Industries 

Chicago Sporting Goods Co. 

Chris New Tech Sports Ltd. 

Cortland Line Company 

Cragin-Simplex Corp. and 

Garcia Corp. 

Crown Standard 

Dame, Stoddard & Co. 

Davis T. A. Co. 

Davega Sports 

Dayton Racquet Co. 

Draper & Maynard 

Dunbar Gibson 

Durbin 

Dynaspot Corporation 

Fansteel Inc. 

Fox Tennis Racquets Co., Inc. 

Gallaudet, E.F. 

GeostarTM Tennis Products 

Godfrey, C.L. 

Goldsmith & Sons, P. 

Grafalloy Corp. 

Granbery & Co., D.W. 

Hilton Collins Co. 

HL Corporation/Black Knight 

Horsman E. I. 

Jason W. 

Javithon 

Kent E. 

Korex Corporation 

Lee & Co., Harry 

Lippincott, J.B., Company 

Lob-Ster 

Lombard’s 

Los Angeles Metal Racket 

Company 

MacGregor/ 

Mac Gregor Sporting Goods, Inc. 

Mad Raq Sports, LTD. 

Magnan Mfg. Corp. 

Match Mate 

Maynard 

Montgomery Wards 

Narragansett Machine Company 

National (The) Tennis Racket Co. 

OSP Olympian 

Partridge & Co., Horace 

Peadbody & Whitney 

PDP Sports Company 

Peck & Snyder 

Penn-General Tire 

Princeton Sports Products, Inc. 

Racquetech, Inc. 

Reach & Co. 

Schmelzer & Sons 

Scepter by 

Graphite Master, Inc. 

Sears, Roebuck and Co. 

SET 

Simsons 

Spalding A.G. & Bros. 

Spalding A.G. & Bros., 

Wright & Ditson, 

Reach & Co., 

Peck & Snyder, 

Victor Sporting Goods 

Speedwood Mfg. Co. 

SP. IN. 

Taylor (Alex) & Co. 

Tennis Cheater Drawing 

Tremont Research Co., Inc. 

Tryon, Edw. K., Company 

Variety Manufacturing & 

Engineering Co.- Fulton 

Victor Sporting Goods Co. 

Wanamaker, Fairment John 

Wilson Sporting Goods Co. 


Zebest Racquet Sports Corp. 

34



Abercrombie & Fitch 

(A&F), listed on the NYSE Stock 

Exchange 

Addresses: 

1892 to 1904, Waterfront, Downtown 

New York 

1904 to 1913: 314 Broadway 

1913 to 1917 just off Fifth Avenue 

1917 to today (2002), headquarters, 

Madison Avenue and 45th Street, New 

York 

Company: 

Excerpts from www.abercrombie.com 

In 1892 Abercrombie & Fitch began 

under the name David T. Abercrombie 

Co., a small waterfront shop and factory 

in downtown New York City owned by 

David Abercrombie, a shop dedicated 

to selling only the highest quality 

camping, fishing and hunting gear. 

Ezra Fitch, a lawyer, had come to rely 

upon David Abercrombie’s shop, 

becoming one of its most devoted 

customers. 

In 1900 he convinced D. Abercrombie 

to let him buy into the business and 

become a partner. By 1904 the shop 

was incorporated and the name was 

officially changed to Abercrombie & 

Fitch. 

Abercrombie resigned in 1907. 

By 1913 the store moved to a more 

accessible midtown address just off 

Fifth Avenue, expanding its inventory 

to include sport clothing. 

A&F began publishing a catalogue. 

This impressive book featured 456 

pages of outdoor gear and clothing. 

By 1917 Abercrombie & Fitch moved 

to Madison Avenue and 45th Street, 

where it occupied an entire twelvestory 

building. It had become the 

largest sporting goods store in the 

world. Ernest Hemingway bought his 

guns there. Presidents Hoover and 

Eisenhower relied on A&F for the best 

fishing equipment. Other famous 

Update 

clients included Amelia Earhart, 

Presidents Taft, Harding and Kennedy, 

the Duke of Windsor, Bing Crosby, 

Howard Hughes, Katharine Hepburn, 

Greta Garbo and Clark Gable. 

By 1928 Ezra Fitch retired from the 

business. 

Abercrombie & Fitch continued to 

grow, with stores opening up in 

Chicago and San Francisco. But by 

the late 1960’s the store hit upon hard 

times and went bankrupt in 1977. 

Oshman’s Sporting Goods, based in 

Houston, Texas, bought the company. 

Business wasn’t good. The Limited 

Inc. bought Abercrombie & Fitch in 

1988. 

And today, Abercrombie & Fitch 

thrives as a publicly held company. A 

powerful lifestyle brand, business is 

thriving at Abercrombie & Fitch with 

hundreds of stores. 

The company did not manufacture its 

offered rackets itself. They were made 

by other manufacturers under the A&F 

brand name. 

New information: 

Bailey’s Boston 

Boston/Mass. 

U.S.A. 

Rackets in collections: 

A racket of this company was offered 

at an auction performed by Mullock 

Madeley in 2004 (Dr. H. Kerling). 

Young America, leather collar to 

throat, smooth square box handle. 

c. 1885 


Bancroft Sporting Goods 

Company 

Rackets Manufactured: 

From an ad in a tennis book, which 

was published in 1961: 

1961: 

Flexiglas 

“A fibreglass reinforcement puts 

‘spring steel’ stamina and 

responsiveness into this amazing new 

concept racket! $ 21.- strung with 

‘Multiply’.” 



1966: 

Player’s Special 

“Beautifully crafted of finest quarter 

sawed, seasoned second growth 

American white ash and Bamboo, ‘the 

steel spring wood’. The Player’s 

Special was created by Ralph V. 

Sawyer, Bancroft’s famed designer of 

custom rackets for champions, to take 

the punishment of the Big Game match 

after match.” 

“Play America’s new No.1 tennis 

racket!” 

From an ad in a tennis book, which was 

published in 1968: 

1968: introducing the 

F.R.S. Composite 

laminated frame fibreglass reinforced 

with steel at all stress points. 

(F.R.S. = Fibre Reinforced with Steel) 

From an auction catalogue, Couturier, 

May 2000: 

c. 1975: 

B. King Wimbledon, laminated frame 

Lee Draisin, Martinez, CA – U.S.A., 

offered additional information 

concerning Bancroft rackets: 

Ralph Sawyer, Bancroft’s racket 

designer from the 1950’s to the 1960’s, 

designed the Super Winner, Player’s 

Special, Epoxy Steel, Fibreglass 

Reinforced Steel, Tear Drop and more. 

35


Update 


Bard Sports Corp. 

Address in 1989: 

12262 S.W. 117th Court 

Miami, FL 33186 

Leaflets and brochures for this 

addition were contributed by Glenn 

A. Bjorkman. 

Company: 

Please consult the chapter on 

Lombard’s. 

From 1970 to 1986 Lombard had its 

own gut strings “Black Phantom”, and 

an in-house line of racquets called 

“Bard”. Lombard was then sold to 

Herman’s Inc. 

1989: 

Widebody Pro Series: 

Shadow Mid-Plus 

Jade Elite Mid-Plus 

Mirage Mid-Plus 

Widebody Sport 

Series: 

Reflex Mid-Plus 

Premier Mid-Plus 

Arrow Mid-Plus 

Rackets manufactured: 

1982: 

Bard King (oversize) 

Bard Mid-King 

Bard Queen (oversize) 

Bard Mid-Queen 

Bard Jade Fire (oversize) 

Bard Jade Fire Mid 

Bard King Fire (oversize) 

Bard Mid-Fire 

Bard Junior 23” 

Bard Junior 25” 

Bard Natural Fire, three layers of 

ash, two of maple, and one of 

hardwood are reinforced with layers 

of graphite. Boron/Wood. 

Bard Natural Fire, ditto,but twohanded, 

Boron/Wood. 

Bard: Natural Fire – Graphite/Boron/wood – 1982 

1986: 

Mid Plus Series: 

King Mid-Plus 

Queen Mid-Plus 

Jade Fire Mid-Plus 

Fire Power Mid-Plus 

Gold Fire Mid-Plus 

Graff Fire Mid-Plus 

Mid-Fire Mid-Plus 

Oversize Series: 

King 

Queen 

Jade Fire 

King Fire 

Junior Series: 

Junior 23” 

Junior 25” 

Kid 23” 

Kid 25” 

36


Update 


BioSports Corp. 


521 E. 86th Avenue 

Merrillville, IN 46410 



A. Bjorkman. 

and increases racquet speed and power 

by as much as 30%. 

The GRIPPER TM decreases energy 

loss by as much as 60%. 

The GRIPPER TM redistributes 

weight for ultra-light feeling without 

sacrifice of weight benefits.” 

From an ad of the company: 

“Why the GRIPPER works: 

The GRIPPER’s TM 19° Doubleellipses 

Biocurve TM Bennett’s Bend 

form-fitted grip eliminates harmful 

octagonal handle. Tapered and 

tailored to the shape of the hand, the 

genuine GRIPPER TM permits natural 

action. 

The GRIPPER’s TM tapered heel 

eliminates harmful flared butt-cap that 

locks little finger into ‘Death Grip’, 

thus causing shock to delicate areas 

of the arm. 

The GRIPPER TM requires 80% less 

grip pressure, trades ‘Death Grip’ for 

relaxed, natural grip, thus reducing 

tension throughout the arm, body and 

heart. 

The GRIPPER TM eliminates wrist 

distortion, which dangerously 

compresses the median nerve and 

arteries into injurious positions. 

The GRIPPER TM reduces muscle 

stress and fatigue by 40% and extends 

a player’s playing life. 

The GRIPPER TM reduces heart 

strain and relative diastolic blood 

pressure. 

The GRIPPER TM virtually eliminates 

ball contact shock. 

The GRIPPER’s TM natural alignment 

improves hand-to-eye co-ordination 

37


Update 


Bliss R. Manufacturing Co. 

Hand and Bench Screws, Clamps, 

Croquet Games, Boys’ and Youths’ 

Tool Chests, &c. 

Pawtucket R.I. 

U.S.A. 

History: 

1830 to 1845: Rufus Bliss 

1845 to 1874: R. Bliss and Co. 

1874 to 1903: R. Bliss Mfg. Co., 

a stock company. 

Locations: 

The change in address may not signify 

changes in location but to 

renumbering: 

1875: 225 Main St. – 

1876: 301 Main St. – 

1892: 535 Main St. – 

1904 to 1907: Branch of National 

Novelty Corp. 

1908 to 1912: Branch of Hardware and 

Woodenware Mfg. Co. 

1915 to 1918: J.H. O’Neil of Pawtucket 

R.I. advertised itself as the successor 

firm, with products “wood screws and 

wooden specialities”. 

1921: A new R. Bliss Mfg. Co. 

The last entry in the City Directories 

was 1935. 

Company: 

The firm was founded by Rufus Bliss 

in 1830 or 1832. He retired in 1863 

owing to poor health. Rufus Bliss was 

one of the pioneers in this country 

who manufactured wooden screws. 

They were used as bench, hand screws 

or clamps for pianoforte and cabinet 

makers. The company also made apple 

tree and hickory handles for chisels, 

augurs, awls, files and other tools. It 

made mallets handles of every 

description in immense quantities to 

screw or drive into the mallets. 

The company claims: 

“The R. Bliss Manufacturing Company 

have facilities for the production of 

goods in their line not surpassed by 

those of any house in the country. 

Their manufacture, one and all, stand 

in the front rank in their class of goods, 

the same careful selection of material 

is made, and the same perfection of 

manufacture is arrived at, whether the 

article produced is large or small.” 

In 1879 its products included those 

used in archery. The Rhode Island 

Historical Society has a 1892 trade 

catalogue for lawn tennis rackets, 

and croquet sets. 

In 1901 the company employed 350 

workmen. 

According to the 1907 financial 

statement, Bliss was one of the leading 

toy producers in the country. 

Bliss toys and doll’s houses are now 

much sought after by collectors in 

this field. Games, which were produced 

caught the eye because of their 

superior craftsmanship and beautiful 

illustrations in excellent quality and 

brilliant colours. 


Bliss rackets were of exceptional 

quality and appearance. Precious dark 

hard woods blended with the lighter 

ash wood of the frame. The heart was 

quite often decorated with beautiful, 

colourful decals. 

1890: 

Ashby 

solid ash frame, with a red convex heart 

(probably tinted sycamore). 

Around 1905: 

Some Rackets were also made with 

laminated wedges according to 

Spalding’s English Patent No. 4865, 

1904. 

Selected racket from a collection: 

Princeton, Bliss Co., Pawtucket, R.I., 

ash frame with solid convex wedge, 

cedar flakes on handle, flat topped. 

Offered in fair condition for $ 795.- in 

2001. 


References: 

Internet site: http://member.aol.com/ 

ClampGuy/hist_bm1.htm 

Rolf Jaeger Tennis Heritage, Costa 

Mesa, Ca. 


Broadway Tennis Racket Mfg. 

Co. 





Modern, The, concave wedge. 

c. 1924 


Burkhard, WM, R. 

St. Paul, Minn. 

U.S.A. 

The following racket was offered for 

auction at eBay between 2000 and 

2005 (Dr. H. Kerling): 

Oxford, solid ash, concave, no 

bindings at shoulders. 

c. 1898 

38


Update 

New Information: 

California By-Products Co. 

San Francisco 

U.S.A. 

Company: 

Not much is known about this company, which operated in the 

1920’s and 30’s. 

The logo of the company is shown below. CBP Co., California By 

Products Co., also California Athletic Goods. 


From an ad in the “Australasian Lawn Tennis” magazine November 

30, 1925. Ad featured by Maurice Samuels, Wholesale 

Distributors, 8a Castlereagh Street, Sydney. 

1925: 

California, concave, frame of two strips of selected white ash. 

Handles of solid white basswood. Shoulders reinforced with 

heavy taping. 

“World Champions, William Tilden and Bill Johnston, like the 

California Rackets and use them exclusively. Strung with 

‘California’ gut.” 

Racket of the collection of Aldo Romeo: 

California Model G, concave, laminated, five bindings on each 

side of the shoulders, deep grooved handle. 


Racket of the collection of Randy Crow: 

Hollywood, concave, laminated, rawhide insert, combed handle. 


Picture published in the 

USTA Magazine, issue 

1999. 

Bill Tilden, at The 

U . S . A . 

Championships, which 

he won first in 1920. 

He uses a “California”. 

Photographs of rackets 

by Aldo Romeo, 

Cincinnati, Ohio, 

U.S.A. 

39


Ad in ‘American Lawn Tennis’, March 15, 1924, courtesy Glenn A. Bjorkman 

Update 


Centurion Industries 

Patent used for their rackets: 

3 702 189 

Application filed March 4, 1971, 

continuation in part of application of 

Nov. 6, 1967, of Oct. 7, 1968 and of 

Oct. 6, 1969. 

Patented Nov. 7, 1972 

5 claims 

Tennis Racket 

Abstract: ... a one piece frame with a 

handle comprising a hollow core, the 

shaft region being formed into twin arms, 

which diverge in a neck portion, the 

hollow core being closed with a cap ... 

Inventors: Thomas P. Galich, Beverly 

Hills, California, U.S.A. 

Drawing: Please consult page 575 in 

the book. 

Glenn A. Bjorkman offered (in 2004) 

some information on the company, 

which he had in his possession from 

Carl Bjorkman+ back from 1957. 

“During the early 1920’s the California 

By-Products Company, large producer 

of sausage casings, began to 

manufacture tennis strings in South 

San Francisco mainly to supply 

Spalding’s who were in the market for 

hundreds of grosses. One Spalding 

order exceeded a million dollars 

according to rumours. 

They built up a tremendous output 

and finally went into bankruptcy 

distressing many stockholders from 

all walks of life who had been induced 

to invest. That venture was headed by 

Sylvan Blondheim, who is still dealing 

in casings in San Francisco. 

Carlton Gardner, sales manager from 

the office, and the gut string 

superintendent, an Italian by the name 

of Serra, tried to piece the fragments 

into a new business, The Gardner- 

Serra Company and this too failed.” 

In 1923-24, the California By-Products 

Company was contracted by Saxton 

Pope and Art Young to make 

broadheads for them to use on their 

expeditions to prove the bow & arrow’s 

effectiveness as a hunting implement. 

Saxton and Art provided CBP with the 

design for these heads. 


Chicago Sporting Goods Co. 

1920: 

2053 Powell Street 

Chicago 

U.S.A. 

Company: 

The company was acquired by The 

Thomas E. Wilson & Co. (later Wilson 

Sporting Goods Co.) in 1920. It was a 

manufacturer of leather products and 

knitting goods and had just built a 

100.000 sq ft building at 2053 Powell 

Avenue. Apparently the company also 

made or distributed tennis rackets. 


c. 1915: 

Triumph, convex wedge. 

40


Update 


Chris New Tech Sports Ltd. 

In a prospectus of 1984: 

Chris Development Corporation 



A. Bjorkman. 

Company: 

The company introduced its first 

rackets at the end of 1984. In 1989 

Chris Winkler, president, tried to sell 

the company to Donnay, Adidas or K- 

Swiss, apparently without success. In 

1988 the Chris CTE, as it was also 

called (CTE for Convex Torque 

Eliminator), sold about 6000 frames. 

Rackets distributed: 

1984/85 

CTE Star Series: 

Executor 

Power-G 

Competition 

41


Update 


Cortland Line Company 

Company: 

From a Cortland catalogue c. 1960: 

“Cortland has pioneered an 

outstanding achievement that has 

revolutionized the racket industry ... 

the use of radio frequency heating to 

bond the various parts of the racket 

into a single unit that is stronger than 

the original wood. Cortland’s R.F. 

Resin-Bonded frames. All Cortland 

rackets are now R.F. (radio frequency) 

bonded – your guarantee of a stronger, 

livelier racket.” 


1941-1945: 

Joe Whalen, photodecal picture racket 

From a Cortland catalogue 

c. 1960: 

Aero Driver, similar to the Universal. 

Universal, 11 ply laminated frame of 

ash and fibre strips. Maple overlay. 

Rawhide shoulder reinforcements. 

Australian type shaft. 

Sears Cup, 11 ply laminated frame of 

ash and fibre strips. Australian type 

shaft with laminated handle flakes. 


Named in honour of the nationally 

famous women’s trophy. 

Top Trophy, 11 ply laminated frame of 

ash and fibre strips. Maple overlay. 


Australian type shaft. 

Aristocrat, 11 ply laminated frame of 

walnut dyed ash and fibre strips. 

Maple overlay. Rawhide shoulder 

reinforcements. 

National Champ, 11 ply laminated 

frame of ash and fibre strips. Maple 

overlay. 

Medallist, 9 ply laminated frame of 

ash and fibre strips. 

Guest Star, 9 ply laminated frame of 


Acemaker, 8 ply laminated frame of 

walnut dyed and white ash strips. 

Club Special, 8 ply laminated frame of 

ash strips. 

American Driver. “This sturdy bat 

was used by the Armed Forces all over 

the world.” 8 ply laminated frame of 

dyed and white ash strips. 

Pacemaker, 8 ply laminated frame of 


Collegian, 8 ply laminated frame of 


Interceptor, 7 ply laminated hardwood 

frame with one black fibre strip. 

Junior Champ, 1½” shorter. 6 ply 

laminated hard wood frame. 

Cyclone, a full size 6 ply laminated 

hardwood frame 

Selected Rackets from collections: 

Pacemaker, laminated frame, made to 

U.S.A. Patent No. 2 147 587 

(dyed wooden stripes as laminations). 


Streamline, laminated frame, made to 

U.S.A. Patent No. RE 21471 

(dyed wooden stripes as laminations). 


Collegian, laminated frame, with 

Vulcan fibre or coloured wood inserts. 


National, laminated frame 


Cortland: Streamline c. 1942 

The coloured wooden stripes are easily seen (red, 

bluish, red). 

Pat. RE 21 471, marked on the racket, is identical in 

most respects to the original patent No. 2 147 587, of 

Feb. 14, 1939. It was re-issued (RE) May 28, 1940. 

Abbreviated claim: 

... coloured wood inserts as laminations ... Cortland: Pacemaker c. 1939 

42


Update 

Additional information to page 112, 

and page 173: 

Cragin-Simplex Corp. and 

Garcia Corp. 

Walter Montenegro, long time owner 

of the Cragin-Simplex Corp. reports: 

The History of Cragin-Simplex 

Cragin-Simplex was established in 1914 

and owned by Mr. Calhoun Cragin. 

The Company specialized in tennis 

equipment and had offices at 53 Park 

Place, New York City. 

Between 1914 and 1939 when I 

purchased the Company, a metal press 

for tennis rackets in the form of an X 

had been contracted for, from a 

company by the name of Simplex Mfg. 

Co. and by mutual agreement Calhoun 

Cragin added the Simplex name to 

Cragin and registered the Company as 

Cragin-Simplex. He also used the press 

as part of the Simplex name, so that the 

X at the end of Simplex name was the 

picture of the metal press. 

Cragin-Simplex was purchased in 1937 

by Mr. Frank Saladino of Saladino & 

Sons of Chelsea, Mass. Saladino & 

Sons was a company that made tennis 

strings out of silk and nylon and he 

entrusted Cragin-Simplex to a few 

employees who did well at managing it 

at the beginning, so that Saladino did 

not have to shuttle back and forth 

from Massachusetts to New York too 

often. The tennis business in general 

was slow and Cragin-Simplex started 

to slide a bit to the extent that Saladino 

eventually chose to sell it. I had been 

doing business with Saladino and we 

became friends. He thought that I 

would be the logical man to take over 

Cragin-Simplex and, this became 

official on March 4, 1939. 

It was no easy task to run a company 

that was small and literally dead, in 

the face of formidable competition, 

such as Spalding’s, Wilson’s, 

McGregor’s, etc. to name just three. 

Through a strong and persistent 

desire to apply a formula that I always 

had much faith in, Cragin-Simplex 

began to improve and eventually 

became an important member of the 

tennis community of tennis suppliers. 

The formula? Giving value, service 

and quality. 

With the team I had, my son Bob as the 

Vice President and loyal employees, 

the future of Cragin Simplex seemed 

assured. We were making our own 

rackets, which were fairly well 

accepted and made some inroads in 

the world of tennis and squash 

racquets, especially as we made under 

private label a good portion of them to 

the Professionals. 

In squash we were fairly strong 

because our racquets became quite 

popular, especially one model called 

the Whipstroke. In addition our 

squash balls were the official balls of 

the US Squash Racquets Association. 

We supplied four balls, the Green 

Diamond for singles and doubles and 

the Yellow Diamond also for singles 

and doubles, which extended the 

squash season to a full year for the 

first time. With the Yellow Diamond 

ball squash was played in the summer, 

no matter how hot the weather was. 

The previous official ball lost its 

official status because it had become 

so bad as to hurt the game and kill the 

game. The Cragin ball was so good, it 

revived the game. Everybody was 

happy with it. 

In addition, we supplied the winning 

trophies each year for a few years for 

the professional tournaments and also 

published in 1962, the Squash 

Magazine. It was the very first 

magazine the Squash Association ever 

had and it was distributed free. It set 

a precedent and became extremely 

popular and appreciated. It is still in 

circulation today, thanks to another 

entrepreneur. We used it as a house 

organ, advertising only Cragin- 

Simplex products. 

All this contributed to the growth of 

Cragin-Simplex and one particular 

company, which had taken notice of 

it, approached us with the invitation 

to merge our business with theirs. This 

was the Garcia Corporation. A very 

large fishing tackle company, which 

had made a fine reputation through its 

Mitchell fishing reel among other 

things. Its president was well known 

to me. In fact we were friends and on 

one occasion when I introduced him 

to my Secretary, I learned that he took 

a liking to her and eventually married 

her. 

I was quite cool to the idea of the 

merger. After all, I had my son Bob 

with me as my right hand man and who 

was to be the heir of the business 

upon my passing on. Surely I was not 

looking for outside help. However, I 

was kept busy with explanations of 

how much Cragin-Simplex would gain 

together with Garcia and done so 

repeatedly that I eventually weakened 

and agreed to the merger in 1972. 

It was not too long after, that my son 

and I “saw the handwriting on the 

wall” and realized then that things 

were not rosy. It did not take long for 

the Garcia Corporation to file for 

protection from the bankruptcy Law, 

from which it could not recuperate. 

As for me the experience of seeing a 

strong and fairly popular company as 

Cragin-Simplex go “down the tube” 

through no fault of its own, but, rather 

been dragged into it, was a sad lifelasting 

experience. Forty years of time 

consuming hard work lost completely. 

A sad, sad story. 

Respectfully submitted, 

Walter Montenegro, May 20, 2000 


From the Cragin-Simplex catalogue in 

1964: 

Professional Model, reinforced on 

shoulders and throat with fibres. 

$ 37.50 strung with VS gut. 

Pro-Bat, reinforced with beautiful 

grey fibres. $ 36.- strung with VS gut 

Cardinal, $ 33.- strung with VS gut 

Blue Arrow, horseshoe overlay of 

maple. $ 19.- strung with Ashaway 

Pro-Fected Nylon. 

Coronet, $ 16.50 strung. 

From the Cragin-Simplex catalogue 

about 1966/67: 

Crusader, 8 ply laminated 

Pro-Bat, ditto 

Cardinal, ditto 

Blue Arrow, ditto 

Coronet, 7 ply laminations 

Midget, ditto 

43


Update 


Crown Standard 

Please refer in this Update to: 

Lippingcott, J. B., Company 

715 and 717 Market St. 

Philadelphia 

New information to page 117: 

Davis T. A. Co. 

Melrose Avenue, 

Hollywood (1932-1947) 

Cleon Avenue 

North Hollywood (1948) 

a few years later: 

Satsuma Avenue 

North Hollywood 

Extract from an article by Glenn A. 

Bjorkman in the Journal of Tennis 

Collectors of America, Number 5, 

Spring-Summer 2005. 

Glenn A. Bjorkman: Both Victor 

Surgical Gut Mfg. Co. and Victor 

Sports were founded by his father and 

his uncle. 

Company: 

A few additions are made to the history 

of the company, which was already 

contributed to ‘The Book of Tennis 

Rackets’ by Glenn A. Bjorkman. 

Theophilus Anthony Davis (1885- 

1953) made his first tennis racket in 

1928 according to one account, but 

company records show sales starting 

1930. 

His son ‘Ladd’ (R. T. Davis), who was 

still in his teens, joined the company 

sometime in the 1930’s (Ladd retired 

in 1981). 

A racket is listed in the table on page 

118 with an unusual name: Phar Lap. 

It existed for only a very short time. 

The Editor of the Journal suggests: 

‘Presumably this model was named 

for Phar Lab, the New Zealand-bred 

horse, the winner of the Melbourne 

Cup, born in 1927, who won 37 of 51 

races he entered.’ 

The last racket that T.A. Davis 

designed was the Imperial in 1953. 

The Imperial de Luxe racket, which 

followed 1965 based on this design is 

considered to be one of the most 

beautiful wooden rackets ever made 

having a full length facing down the 

shaft to the handle using an exotic 

wood called Paldao. 

The slogan: ‘King of the Courts’ 

appearing on the labels on their 

rackets was first used in 1952, the 

designation ‘TAD Davis’ starting in 

1955. Later many tennis players 

referred to the company as the ‘TAD 

Davis Company’. 

The Davis family crest and the TAD 

diamond appeared early in the 1930’s. 

The diamond is reflective of the 

diagonal stringing, which Davis 

promoted in many of its models. Early 

models either had no butt caps or 

plain ones of black-coated fabric. After 

affiliation with Victor Sports, the 

coated fabric caps had the Victor “V” 

with the famous trademark of a tennis 

player. This player is none other than 

Frank Shields who was tennis player, 

actor, and grandfather of Brooke 

Shields. 

In 1961 the switch was made to 

moulded plastic butt caps with the 

familiar “TAD” imprint. 

Davis did not pay any players to use 

Davis rackets. Victor/Davis policy was 

to put money into product 

development rather than into 

endorsements. 

Clasiden TM was the trademark used as 

an under facing lamination with 

fibreglass in the new Classic racket 

introduced in 1971. 

Davis made only one private brand 

tennis racket the “Regency” in both 

standard and midsize versions for the 

Herman’s Sporting Goods store chain 

in the late 1970’s. 


Dame, Stoddard & Co. 

274 Washington Street 

Boston, Mass. 

USA 

Company: 

Fishing rod and fly dealer. 

Racket offered at eBay 2006: 

Dame, Stoddard & Co.: Racket c. 1908 

44


Update 


Davega Sports 

Division of Atlas Stores Corp. of 

America 

Probably situated at Fifth Avenue 

corner Fifty-Sixth Street 

New York 

U.S.A. 

Davega Sports: Champion, c. 1930 

Company: 

The Atlas Corp. was founded by Floyd 

Odlum. In 1932, Odlum bought a 

department store in New York and 

integrated it into the Atlas Corp. 

The company distributed also tennis 

balls in cans with the name “Davega”. 

Reference: Please consult the 

“Journal of The Tennis Collectors of 

America” Number 4, “Davega 

Sporting Goods Company”, by Greg 

High, Sarasota, FL for comprehensive 

information. 


Champion, solid frame, concave, 

throat-piece of beach, cedar shingles, 

combed. Butt leather. 

c. 1930 




Driver, concave wedge. 

c. 1930 

Rackets manufactured in the 1930’s: 

Imperial, President, Leadall, Ace, 

Triumph 

45


Update 


Dayton Racquet Co. 

Excerpt from a report on the company 

published in “The Sporting Goods 

Dealer”, August, 1966. 

Company: 

E. Louis Munday took over the plant 

from his brother, R. E. Munday, in 

1934, and moved it out of Dayton, 

Ohio, from which the name derives, to 

the new location in an abandoned 

foundry, 302 Albright Street, 

Arcanum, Ohio, in the same year. 

In 1966 the company had 17 

employees, mostly women. A strictly 

casual production line turns out 100 

rackets “or so” a day, including tennis, 

badminton and paddle tennis. Primary 

purchasers of Dayton rackets are 

schools, playgrounds and recreation 

centres. “Steel rackets”, Munday 

explains, “last, last and last without 

pampering. Our hollow-core steel 

strings rebound faster than gut. They 

put more spin on the ball. They are not 

affected by the weather. 

In the production process, after the 

frames are bent into shape and the 

sand in the tubes (required for proper 

bending) removed, they receive a heat 

treatment (1600 °F or approx. 980 

°C) and then are plunged into oil. This 

makes the steel hard but brittle. Next 

they go into a draw furnace, which 

relieves the strain and makes the steel 

tough but flexible.” 

The frames emerge from the furnace 

black and scaled, but sandblasting 

dresses them up. 

“The actual stringing is done by hand 

by women. Plain steel wire won’t do 

for the strings. Twisting music wire to 

form hollow-core filament, six wires 

for tennis and five for badminton forms 

them. 

Sycamore and basswood are used for 

the handles.” 

Comment: Dayton made apparently 

only rackets with steel frames strung 

with hollow core twisted wire. They 

made such rackets from 1920 until 

the late 1980’s. 

Rackets of the company are presented 

in a prospectus, dated March, 1958: 


1958: 

All rackets with a relatively small open 

heart compared to those Dayton 

rackets, which were made earlier. 

Lone Eagle, steel frame chromium 

finished, copper coated steel string, 

10 main strings rubber cushioned. 

Clipper, steel frame with a two-tone 

finish – red and white. Blue trim. 

Flyer, hickory-coloured steel frame. 

Cadet, steel frame in plain hickory 

finish. 

Racket in a collection: 

Pilot, steel frame with piano wire 

stringing 


Air Flight, c. 1930 

Aviator, c. 1930 

Randy Crow reports (Oct. 2002): 

Most Dayton rackets with leather butt 

caps were made between 1922 and 

1934. Later they began to use plastic 

butt caps. 

46


Update 


Aviator, c. 1935 

Dayton: Aviator, c. 1935 


Dunbar Gibson 

New York/U.S.A. 


Auction Mullock Madeley Dec. 2000: 

A laminated racket was offered. 


Draper & Maynard 

Sporting Goods Co. of 

Plymouth 

1900: Main Street 

Plymouth, New Hampshire 

U.S.A. 

Company: 

Draper & Maynard was a famous 

Sporting Goods Company that existed 

from 1840 to 1937 in Plymouth, N.H. In 

fact, it’s common belief that the 

company produced the first baseball 

glove in the country around 1895. Babe 

Ruth and his Red Sox team-mates 

frequently visited the D&M factory 

and made suggestions on improving 

the gloves. The figure of a dog, 

resembling John Maynard’s bird dog, 

became the trademark of the D&M 

products. The “Lucky Dog” logo was 

used on baseballs, gloves and other 

sporting goods (including tennis 

rackets) acquiring nationwide 

reputation from about 1900 to 1937. 

The Company went out of business in 

Plymouth in that year. 

In the same year, Goldsmith, another 

sporting goods company, 

headquartered in Cincinnati, 

purchased the company, including the 

rights to manufacture products under 

the D&M name. It discontinued 

production in Plymouth and auctioned 

off all the equipment. They stopped 

manufacturing D&M products in 1962 

when Goldsmith merged with 

MacGregor, subsequently Brunswick 

Corp. The Cincinnati Historical 

Society says city directories from 1942 

to 1962 list a Draper-Maynard Sporting 

Goods Co. on York Street and later on 

Spring Grove Avenue. 

The “D&M Draper Co. Ltd. in Japan 

was already formed as a representative 

for the company in Japan, in 1901. It 

still prospers and had its centennial in 

2001. The “Plymouth Week”, June 4 - 

17, 2001, writes: “The ‘Lucky Dog’ 

lives on in Tokyo”. 


c. 1915: 

Sunapee, convex, combed handle 

c. 1925: 

Duchess, ladies’ model, with bulbous 

handle 

Ossipee, with the ‘Lucky Dog’ logo 

c. 1930: 

Olympic, with the ‘Lucky Dog’ logo 

c. 1937: 

Challenge 

Laminated frame. Seven plies. 

Coloured wood inserts. Sycamore 

heart. Concave. Two bindings at 

shoulders. Sycamore shingles at 

handle. Leather wrapped handle. Butt 

leather. Decal on racket shows a 

Dalmatian dog. “The lucky Dog Kind” 

c. 1930: 


at an auction performed by Christie’s 

in 2001 (Dr. H. Kerling). 

Princess 


Tecumseh, 

c. 1928 

Draper & Maynard: Tecumseh, c. 1928 

Draper & Maynard: Challenge c. 1937 

47


Update 


Durbin 

Company: 

Princeton Sports Products, Inc. (PSP) 

Exeter, NH 03833, 

distributed the “Durbin” rackets as 

documented on a company leaflet of 

Nov.1982, which was provided by 

Glenn A. Bjorkman. 


1982: 

Durbin TM metal frame 

Durbin TM Graphite 

PSP claims in its leaflet on the 

Durbin TM Graphite (extract): 

“Frankly, we call the Durbin TM Graphite 

ultimate because no other 

graphite racket achieves this level 

of refinement, this superb 

performance. It is the culmination 

of flawless, scientific design, which 

exploits the benefits of a remarkable 

man-made fibre to the highest 

degree. 

Professor Enoch Durbin, inventor 

of the Durbin TM , retained and finetuned 

all the virtues crafted into 

the aluminium racket and 

augmented them in the Durbin TM 

Graphite. 

Its aerodynamically slim frame 

delivers extra speed. Feel and 

mobility unobtainable and 

unrecognisable in other graphite 

rackets are made vitally positive by 

the exact headlight balance and 

unique mass distribution. Reducing 

the frame’s frontal area by 25% over 

comparable graphite rackets makes 

the Durbin TM Graphite supremely 

fast and direct.” 

48



Dynaspot Corporation 

Company: 



A. Bjorkman. 

The company claims in one of its 

leaflets (extract): 

“Both of the movable mass rackets 

below have the same basic midsize 

frame design. The moveable mass 

positions itself close to the handle on 

volleys to provide better mobility. On 

serves and ground strokes the movable 

mass positions itself at the tip of the 

racket to produce greater power.” 


1987: 

GS 120 

GS 220 

These rackets are similar in their 

appearance, however, the GS 120 is 

stiffer than the GS 220. 

Patent: 

1982: 

4 330 125 

Application filed August 22, 1980 


Apparatus for reducing torque and 

vibration in racquets 

Abstract 

A device for reducing torque and 

vibration caused by an off-centre 

impact between a ball and the face of 

a racquet. The device includes tubular 

guide means located about the 

periphery of the racquet head. 

Movement of the racquet by an offcentre 

impact causes the 

counterbalancing weights to be 

displaced. 

Inventor: Sassler; Marvin L. 

(Wayne, NJ) 

Update 

When the ball is hit off-centre, the fluid accelerates toward the 

opposite side of the racket. This fluid motion generates a 

gyroscopic action that helps reduce racket twist. 

49



Fansteel Inc. 

Address: 

1 Tantalum Place 

North Chicago, IL , 60064 

U.S.A. 

Company: 

Business activity in 2005: 

Fansteel is comprised of three premier 

metal manufacturers of customerengineered 

components. Facilities 

manufacture a variety of products 

including premium aluminium and 

magnesium sand castings, automotive 

and commercial investment castings, 

and powdered metal components. 

Value added processes such as 

machining, assembly and coatings are 

available. 

Principle markets served by Fansteel 

include aerospace, agricultural 

equipment, automotive, defence, 

electrical appliances, fluid controls, 

lawn and garden, industrial hardware 

and power tools. 

Each operation provides a wide range 

of specialized engineering and 

technical support to assist the 

customers from development to the 

final product. 

Fansteel to purchase the remaining 

equipment, which had been used in 

the past to make graphite golf shafts 

and tennis rackets. Their offer was 

accepted and Grafalloy is getting all of 

the moulds, sanders, and related 

equipment used to make tennis rackets 

while CompositAir will get two large 

presses, the big filament-winding 

machine made many years ago by 

Goldsworthy. 

Engineering, cutting tables, ovens, 

lathes, and miscellaneous other 

equipment. 

Tennis rackets: 

After only a few years of racket 

production Fansteel sold its racket 

business to Grafalloy in 1980/81 and 

did not resume that business field 

again. Please consult the chapter on 

Grafalloy for further details. 


addition were contributed by Glenn A. 

Bjorkman. 


Fox Tennis Racquets Co., Inc. 

9812 Independence Ave. 

Chatsworth CA 91311 

Company: 

In a brochure of the company the 

address of Raquetech, Inc. is given as 

Independence Ave., Chatsworth, CA., 

in 1983 

This company probably succeeded the 

Graphite Sales Company, which was 

mentioned by Bill Hodges in his 

original report in the book. The Fox 

tennis rackets were made here in a 

factory with a manufacturing area of 

about 10.000 sq.ft. The company 

became FTM (Fox-Thrifty-Miller) in 

1985. The company changed its name 

(and probably also its ownership) 

again about 1990 from FTM to Pro 

Sports U.S.A., Co. (Fox Sports 

Products, a division of Pro Sports 

U.S.A., Co.) with a new address: 1025 

South Major Street, Salt Lake City, UT 

84111. 

Trademark on the left side in 1983 

Trademark in 1993 

Update 


1983: 

ATP Quantum Fox 

1983: 

The Bosworth Signature Series: 

the Sports Illustrated calls Bosworth 

“The Wizard of Boz.” 

Bosworth Signature 215, graphite, 

midsize 

Bosworth Signature 210, graphite, 

midsize 

Bosworth Signature 110, magnesium 

alloy, midsize 

From the FTM (Fox-Thrifty-Miller) 

company: 

1985: (from a price list Jan. 1985) 

Bosworth Series: 

Graphite WB-210, midsize 

Ceramic WB-210, midsize 

Boron Comp WB-210, midsize 

Graphite WB-215, midsize 

Ceramic WB-215, midsize 

Boron Comp WB-215, midsize 

Traditional Series: 

Gold Fox, midsize 

Silver Fox, oversize 

Red Fox, midsize 

Bronce Fox, midsize 

From the FTM (Fox-Thrifty-Miller) 

company: 

1989: (from a price list Feb. 1989) 

Bosworth Performance Series, 

widebody design: 

Dynamite 

Target 210 

Double Edge 

Tournament 

Quantum 118 

Fox Force 

Bosworth Signature Series: 

Turk WB-210 

Royal Pro WB-210 

Ceramic Precision 210 

Ceramic Precision 215 

Precision Pro WB-210 

Fire Ball Jr. 

Bosworth Traditional Series: 

New Silver Fox 

White Fox 

From Pro Sports U.S.A., Co.: 

1993: (from a price list July 1993) 

High Performance Graphite Series: 

Target Plus 

50


Update 

Target 

Dynamite Plus 

Explosion Extra 

Explosion 

Aero Plus 

Aero 

Tournament 

Aluminium Series: 

Phoenix 

Saturn Jumbo 

Saturn Oversize 

Aero Mars 

Novice 

Jr. Superlite 25 



Cub 25 

Cub 23 

1994: (from a price list August 1994) 

Fox Pro Series: 

Evolution 2.2 

Pro Class 1.9 

Explosion 

Explosion Extra 

Fox Widebody Series: 

Target Plus 

Target 

Dynamite Plus 

Aero 

Tournament 

Fox Performance Series: 

Super Hawk 

Falcon 

Phoenix 

Aero Mars 




Fox Sports Products: Explosion Extra 1993 



A. Bjorkman. 

51



Geostar TM Tennis Products 

1650 West Alameda Drive 

Tempe, Arizona 85282 

Another address is also given: 

6900 E. Camelback Rd. 

Scottsdale/Arizona 85251 

U.S.A. 



A. Bjorkman. 

Update 

Company: 

There is no information available on 

this company. 


1979: 

Geostar, aluminium alloy, cocoa 

coloured anodised, standard size 

racket, throat piece of DuPont TM 

Zytel TM . 

Comment by author: 

This stringing system was already 

described in one of Lunn’s leaflets 

(English racket manufacturer) in the 

1890’s. 


Gallaudet, E.F. 

East Greenwich, R.I. 

U.S.A. 


Streamline, Waterfroof, B. 

c. 1928 

In black print on the side: Gallaudet 

Strung Waterproof, Patent Pending, 

Model No. 

Gallaudet: Streamline, Waterproof, c. 1928 

52


Update 


Godfrey, C.L. 

‘The peak of quality’ 

Pawtucket, R.I. 

U.S.A. 

Company: 

Charles L. Godfrey, Corona, N.Y. filed 

a patent for a Tennis racket Oct. 9, 

1923 and it was granted to him Oct. 29, 

1929. 

Please refer to the “Book” page 542. 


Wilding, The, oval, concave, 

laminated, combed wooden handle. 

Reinforced shoulders. 


Beverly Hills, c. 1930-35 

Thorobred, c. 1930-35 

Godfrey: Beverly Hills, c. 1930-35 

“The Peak of Quality” 

Trademark, New York, N.Y. 

All Photos: Courtesy Rodney Lack 

Godfrey: Thorobred c. 1930-35 

“The Peak of Quality” 

Pat’d Stringing 

US Patent No. 1733960 Oct. 29. ‘29 

53


Update 


Goldsmith & Sons, P. 

Cincinnati/Ohio 

U.S.A. 

Company: This sporting goods 

company operated from, it is believed, 

1910 dealing in baseball and football. 

But tennis rackets were also offered in 

their early days. Perhaps they were 

contractually manufactured by 

another company. The company 

bought Draper & Maynard in 1937. 

However, it discontinued production 

in Plymouth where D&M was located 

and auctioned off all the equipment. 

In the early 1940’s it was acquired by 

MacGregor Sporting Goods out of 

Dayton, who operated the company 

under the name of MacGregor- 

Goldsmith. 

They stopped manufacturing D&M 

products in 1962 when MacGregor- 

Goldsmith merged completely with 

MacGregor, subsequently the 

Brunswick Company. 


c. 1930: 

The Duchess with bulbous handle 

c. 1938: 

Olympic Star, photodecal racket 

featuring Babe Didrickson 


Grafalloy Corp. 

in 1981: 

1020 North Marshall Avenue 

El Cajon, California 92020 

in 2005: 

Grafalloy 

8275 Tournament Drive 

Memphis, TN 38125 

U.S.A. 

Company: 

Extract from the ACM Newsletter No. 

111 issued January 1981: 

“Graphite tennis racket production 

seems to be growing steadily and 

Grafalloy expects to increase 

substantially their share of this 

market.They teamed with CompositAir 

Inc. to make a joint proposal to 

Fansteel to purchase the remaining 

equipment, which had been used in 

the past to make graphite golf shafts 

and tennis rackets. Their offer was 

accepted and Grafalloy is getting all 

of the moulds, sanders, and related 

equipment used to make tennis rackets 

while CompositAir will get two large 

presses, the big filament-winding 

machine made many years ago by 

Goldsworthy Engineering, cutting 

tables, ovens, lathes, and 

miscellaneous other equipment for 

use in expanding current 

manufacturing capabilities. This 

equipment will be installed at their 

new plant in Santee. CompositAir, 

however, have no intention of making 

any sports equipment. 

Fansteel also had several thousand C- 

6 graphite tennis rackets in stock, and 

these were recently purchased by 

‘ProGroup’. It is reasonable to assume 

that Grafalloy will be manufacturing 

all of the C-6 rackets in the future; but 

as of this date, no contractual 

agreement between them and 

ProGroup has been announced. 

The standard C-6 racket was shown 

recently at the Miami tennis show but 

the new midsize version is not yet 

officially on the market. The official 

introduction of the midsize C-6 is likely 

to occur during mid-1981 when 

Grafalloy will presumably be in regular 

production on these and the standard 

size frames. Grafalloy may be in no 

hurry since they are reported to be 

workling on orders totaling well over 

50,000 graphite frames for delivery to 

Prince and Bancroft. Production of 

graphite tennis rackets should exceed 

60-70.000 this year, possibly by a 

substantial margin. Production of 

graphite golf shafts is also holding up 

well.” 

The company in 2005: 

Grafalloy is a leading manufacturer of 

state of the art golf carbon fibre wood 

and iron shafts. Grafalloy continues 

to pioneer cutting-edge, industryleading 

technologies such as blue 

micro-mesh tip technology and 

nanotechnology. These proprietary 

advances in technology coupled with 

an unwavering focus on quality places 

Grafalloy among the favourite brands 

week in and week out on tour. 


1981: 

C6 standard size 

C6 midsize 

The mentioned newsletter for this 

addition was contributed by Glenn A. 

Bjorkman. 

54



Granbery & Co., D.W. 

Please change spelling from Granberry 

to Granbery in the book. 

Formerly: Hall, Nicoll & Granbery 

Update 

From an ad in Harper`s Young People, 

June 1885: 


1885: 

No. H1, concave, flat topped, smaller 

for young people 

No. H2, convex, regular size, oval face 

No. H3, ditto, but finer finished 

No. H4, this racket is known as the 

“Alexandra”. It is made by the wellknown 

London Manufacturers, 

“Feltham & Co.” Concave, flat 

topped. 

No. H5, renamed newly as the 

“Shepard Racket” in 1885. 

Concave, flat topped. It was awarded 

First Prize at the New Orleans 

Exhibition. 

Selected racket of a collection: 

Association, solid ash frame, convex, 

semi flat topped. On racket: 

“Handmade New York”. Offered in 

good condition for $ 875.- in 2001. 


Granbery: Ad from June 2, 1885 

Lawn Tennis Catalogue and Directions 

for Playing 1885, D.W. Granbery & Co. 

Courtesy Rolf Jaeger 

55


Update 


Hilton Collins Co. 

Incorporated 

Louisville, KY. 

U.S.A. 

Company: 

Abbreviation H C. 

High Class Sporting Goods. 

Hilton Collins: Lafayette c. 1910 

Photographs courtesy Dr. H. Kerling 

Additional information to page 211and 

to page 98: 

HL Corporation 

including information on 

Black Knight 

Company: 

From a circular letter of the company, 

c. 1993, “Celebrating 20 years of 

Quality in Badminton”: 

“Richard Haglund and Henry Linden 

started the company by the name of 

HL International Sports in 1973. Their 

product included what was to become 

the number one feather shuttlecock in 

the U.S.A., and one of the top shuttles 

worldwide. 

HL was able to develop the method 

and technology to bind graphite into 

shapes, and thus to make rackets out 

of this new space age material. A failure 

to patent the process and idea cost 

the company dearly. Even though the 

likes of the Dupont Company worked 

with, and expressed interest in HL and 

its products, the failure to maintain 

control of the process allowed other 

established racket companies to 

benefit far more from the development 

than HL itself. In the late 1970’s, a 

financial setback was the final straw, 

HL’s sales manager left and started a 

new brand of rackets and shuttles 

along with the Canadian founder of 

‘Black Knight’. This was the origin of 

Black Knight products in the U.S.A. 

Soon after HL was sold to new owners 

and was back in the badminton 

business. Both companies existed and 

competed with each other until 1988. 

In that year the two companies merged 

and formed HL Corporation. The 

strength of HL lies in the people who 

own it and run it. It truly is ‘A 

Badminton Company’. All of the 

officers are top-level US players or 

people who have worked in the Sport 

for years. HL is the current sponsor of 

the California Interscholastic 

Federation, and has been the sponsor 

of numerous national and international 

events including the US Open. In the 

past five years HL has been the driving 

force in expanding the horizons for 

badminton in the educational sphere 

and trying to upgrade the recreational 

‘player’ to ‘enthusiast’!” 

56



Horsman E. I. 

Sales rooms locations: 

1882: 80 and 82 William Street 

1891: 341 Broadway 


1907: 365 and 367 Broadway 


New York 

U.S.A. 

1882: Manufactory Valley Falls, Rhode 

Island. 

Please consult Randy Crow’s article 

for further information on the Horsman 

history (E.I. Horsman & the First 

American Racket), which was 

published in the “Journal of The 

Tennis Collectors of America”, Number 

11, Spring-Summer 2007. 

Expert Casino, ditto 

Berkeley 

From an ad by Horsman in “The Country 

Illustrated Monthly Magazine”, 

section “Sporting Goods”, page 53: 

1890: 

Eclipse 

Montaux 

Seabright 

Special 

Casino 

From an ad: 

1890: 

Richmond, concave, flat topped 

From an ad 

c. 1891: 

Eclipse 

Update 

Narragansett Machine Co. of 

Providence, R.I., (collection Randy 

Crow), with the Centaur logo, as 

shown below for the Clermont model. 

c. 1908: 

Clermont 

Slightly flat topped. Mahogany heart. 

Cedar shingles. Handle with deep 

grooves. Butt leather. Brass screw. 

Racket in an auction: 


auction at eBay between 2000 and 2005 

(Dr. H. Kerling): 

Briarcliff, convex, solid ash. 

c. 1908 Laminated wedge. Decal in 

gold showing a horse with the head of 

a man. 

Horsman usually branded its rackets 

using the following mark from c. 1880 

to about 1889. 


From the “Horsman 1882 Sporting 

Goods Catalogue” mentioned by 

Randy Crow in his article: 

1882: 

# 30 

# 50 

both tilt top tennis rackets “made 

exactly on the model of Jefferies of 

London” (please consult the article 

mentioned). 

From an ad by Horsman in “The 

Country Illustrated Monthly 

Magazine”, section “Sporting Goods”. 

1885: 

Brighton 

Casino 

Elberon 

Championship 

From an ad 

c. 1887: 

Casino 

Elberon 

Championship 

Berkeley 

From an ad by Horsman in “The 

Country Illustrated Monthly 

Magazine”, June 1888, section 

“Sporting Goods”, page 33: 

1888: 

Seabright, new, convex, flat topped 

From an ad: 

1893: 

Tuxedo Expert 

From an ad: 

1902: 

Tuxedo Expert 

Princeton Special 

From an ad: 

1905: 

Newport 

From an ad: 

1907: 

Centaur 

Seabright 

A-1 Model 

B Model 

Horsman Expert 

Hyde 

From an ad: 

1910: 

Horsman Model A-X 

From an ad: 

1911: 

Horsman Model A-X 

Racket collections: 

early 1880’s: 

“3”, tilt top (please consult Randy 

Crow’s article) 

c. 1905: 

Newport Model, made by the 

Horsman: Clermont c. 1908 

Centaur Trademark 

Trademark of Horsman 

57


Update 

Advertisement in “The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine”, May 1882, section “Sporting Goods”, page 14: 

Ad c. 1887. Address 80 William Street, New York City. Rackets: The Casino, 

Elberon, Championship and Berkeley 

Ad 1888. Address 80 and 82 William Street, New-York. Rackets: Seabright, 

Expert Casino. 

“The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine”, June 1888 

Ad 1890. Address 80 and 82 William 

Street, New-York. Rackets: Eclipse, 

Montauk, Seabright Special and 

Casino 

“The Century Illustrated Monthly 

Ad 1891. Address 341 Broadway, New York. Racket: Eclipse 

58


Update 

Ad 1893. Address 341 Broadway, New York. Racket: 

Tuxedo Expert 

Ad 1910. Address 365 Broadway, N. Y. 

Racket: Horsman Model A-X 

Ad 1902. Address 354 Broadway, New York. Rackets: 

Tuxedo Expert, Princeton Special 

Ad 1907. Address 365 and 367 Broadway, New York. Rackets: The 

Centaur, The Seabright, The A-1 Model, The B Model, The Horsman 

Expert, The Hyde 

Ad 1911. Address 365 Broadway, N. Y. 

Racket: The Horsman Model A-X 

59


Update 


Jason W. 

probably U.S.A. 

Company: 

No information is available on this 

company. 


Championship Model, laminated 

construction, full overlay at shoulder, 

Vulcan fibre insert. Shaft with an 

unusual white (plastic?) ivory like 

insert 3 mm thick from face to handle. 


Jason: Jason, white insert from face 

to handle c. 3 mm thick – c. 1960 

Additional information to page 229: 

Kent E. 

The following rackets were listed on a 

leaflet (1913) of the company for 




1913: 

Ambassador, convex wedge 

Kenoak, concave wedge 

Selected rackets in collections: 

“230” 

Solid frame. Convex. Mahogany heart. 

Laminated wedge. Cedar shingles. 

Combed handle. Butt leather. 


Country Club 

Solid frame. Bevelled on the inside. 

Concave. One binding at shoulder. 

Mahogany heart. Cedar shingles. 

Combed handle. Butt leather. Brass 

screw. On Racket: Made by E. Kent, 

Pawtucket, R.I., U.S.A. 


Powelton 


Silver King, small open heart, 

tightening device consisting of a screw 

with a square cross section extending 

from the butt end to the open throat to 

the string area. In the throat the metal 

piece is stamped on both sides “Craven 

Pat.”. 


Comment: Research conducted in the 

US-Patent Database revealed no such 

patent issued to “Craven” as the 

inventor. The closest patent to this 

construction was issued to Jacob L. 

Kleinman, in 1933, US-Pat. No. 

1.912.942. 


Javithon 

Fedin Brothers Company Inc. 

150 Knickebocker Ave. 

Bohemia, N.Y. 11716 

Company: 


company. 

In a leaflet they proclaim: 

“Our reputation in golf transcends” 

(meaning to tennis rackets). 

Rackets designed and distributed: 

c. 1989: 

Javithon Trinergy, 93 sqin 

Javithon JVM, 92 sqin 

Javithon JVX, 110 sqin 

Glenn A. Bjorkman reports that a 

representative of the company 

explained to him in a phone call that 

the ‘JVX racket’ would perform 

superior to the ‘Yahama Secret 

Racket’. 

Comment: Its appearance is also 

similar to the velvet black finish of 

the Yamaha Secret. 

Kent: 

“230” c. 1908 

Trademark: 

Two crossed rackets 

Kent: 

Country Club c. 1925 

Trademark: 

Belt and crown 

60



Korex Corporation 

Office & Warehouse 

2801 Centre Circle Drive 

Downers Grove, IL 60515 

Company: 


company. They had a trademark for 

tennis rackets: ‘Vibra-Free’. In a 

prospectus from 1987 it did not 

disclose how this ‘Vibra-Free System’ 

worked. 


1987: 

VFG-100 Centre Court, 100% graphite 

VFG-80 Pro Court, 80% graphite 

VFG-50 Omni Court, 50% graphite 

VFG-10 Supreme Court, Boron 


Lee & Co., Harry 

U.S.A. 

Company: 

Randy Crow reports: 

“Harry C. Lee was a partner in the 

sporting goods firm of Lee & Underhill 

in New York beginning in 1907. They 

were importers of tennis and golf 

equipment from Great Britain. In 1910 

Lee started his own company and 

began manufacturing the famous 

slotted rackets.” 

Update 

A leaflet of the company was 

contributed by Glenn A. Bjorkman. 

Lee & Co.: LC, c. 1910, with a slot in 

the shaft and a laminated wedge 

61


Update 


Lippincott J. B. Company 


715 and 717 Market St. 

Philadelphia 

U.S.A. 

Company: 

Publishers and Booksellers. The 

rackets, which they advertised and 

distributed, were sold with the trade 

name: Crown Standard 


1891: 

Lenox, with cork handle 

Clifton, with cork handle 

Richfield, with cork handle 

Saratoga, with cork handle 

Avongale, with cork handle 

Kensington, with cork handle 

Princeton 

Atlantic 

Brentwood, youth’ and misses’ racket 

Fairy, for children’s use 

The ad shown from the year 1891was 

provided by fellow collector Robert 

H. Jordan, King of Prussia, Pa. 


Lombard’s 

Miami 

U.S.A. 

A leaflet for some of this information 

for this addition was contributed by 

Glenn A. Bjorkman. 

Company: 

Between 1970 and 1986 Mitch Lombard 

ran the largest tennis mail order house 

in the world in addition to five Miami 

retail stores. He had a 50,000 sq ft 

warehouse and sold at the height of 

the tennis boom 100,000 to 150,000 

rackets annually. He said when 

interviewed by ‘Tennis Industry’ 

magazine in 1994: “Back then, people 

would buy six wood racquets at a time. 

But now, graphite racquets just don’t 

break.” 

Lombard had its own gut strings 

“Black Phantom”, and an in-house line 

of racquets called “Bard” (please 

consult the chapter Bard in the book 

for rackets of this brand). 

The whole operation was sold to 

Herman’s (out of the trunk of a car, 

Herman’s, Inc. was born in the early 

1950’s. Starting out with only $200 in 

his pocket, Herman Segal built one of 

the nation’s largest wholesale apparel 

companies). 

62


Update 


Lob-Ster 

Company: 

From ‘Stringer’s Guide’, Vol. 1: #1 from 

1992: 

The Lob-Ster Racquet Series was first 

introduced in 1985. 

Lob-Ster also sold tennis strings with 

the trademark Laser. Ball machines 

were made and soon became a 

bestseller. Tennis bags and other 

accessories for the tennis player were 

distributed. 


1985: 

Lob-Ster Graphite 

1992: 

Citation 110 

Citation Graphite 

Citation Composite 

Citation Junior 

Leaflets for this addition were 

contributed by Glenn A. Bjorkman. 


Los Angeles Metal Racket 

Company 

U.S.A. 

Company: 

No information available. 

It is reported that the company made 

Steel rackets in the early 1930’s. 

63


Update 


MacGregor 


4861 Spring Grove Ave. 

Cincinnati 32, Ohio 

Mac Gregor Sporting Goods, 

Inc. 

25 East Union Avenue 

East Rutherford, NJ 07073 

(Address taken from a letterhead of 

the company in 1986) 

From an ad in a tennis book, which was 

published in 1954: 

“MacGregor rackets are growing in 

popularity year after year! More 

champions prefer MacGregor rackets 

than ever before. And more and more 

top tournaments are adopting the 

MacGregor Tournament Tennis Ball. 

Popular pair!” 




1952: 

Frank Parker Autograph 




1952: 

Frank Parker Autograph 

64


Update 

Racket in the collection of Rodney 

Lack, Australia: 

Tourney 

Laminated wooden head with a twotube 

metal shaft. 

c. 1965 

Comment by the author: McGregor, 

one of the leading companies making 

golf clubs in the 1960s, made and 

distributed the famous MT Tourney, 

DX Tourney and VIP V-foil Tourney 

golf sets in that time. It used the 

successful and well-known Tourney 

brand-name for this unusual racket 

with a two-tube chrome-plated steel 

shaft. 

Photos by Rodney Lack 

65


Update 


Bergelin Long String 

from 1986-1992 in the U.S.A. 

(Please note: these rackets were distributed in Europe by the 

Protagon Sportprodukte Company. Please refer also to the chapter 

on this company in the main book) 

1986/87: 

Model BSL (Bergelin Long String) retail price $ 225.- 

Extract from the ‘New York’ Magazine, June 2 1986. 

The Bergelin LongString, with its ‘tuneable’ tension 

When Lennart Bergelin, onetime Davis Cup champion and Bjorn 

Borg’s former coach, first saw the new racquet, he was not exactly 

impressed: It had a mass of string wound around its six-sided 

head. “That’s ugly!” was his only comment. But after playing with 

the racquet for several hours, Bergelin agreed to help refine the 

clumsy prototype into a finished product. Now, several million 

dollars and more than 1,000 versions later, MacGregor Sporting 

Goods is marketing the Bergelin LongString. 

The LongString may be the biggest innovation in tennis since 

Howard Head revolutionized the sport with the oversize racquet 

ten years ago. 

“Our racquet has 75 moving parts and takes about five and a half 

hours of manual labour to fabricate,” says Herwig Fischer, the 

West German aeronautics engineer who invented and patented 

the racquet that now bears Bergelin’s name. 

The LongString is a programmable racquet. A series of 64 miniature 

nylon pulleys is built into its six-sided head, allowing the string 

tension to be “tuned” instantly. 

The face is strung diagonally with two 27-foot lengths of nylon 

(46 percent longer than those on traditional midsize) that loop 

around the pulleys and converge in the handle. Turning a key in 

the base of the handle loosens or tightens the strings to a tension 

of up to 70 pounds. 

MacGregor: Bergelin LongString 1986 

Key to be inserted in the socket of the handle Lennart Bergelin in action circa 1986 

66



Mad Raq Sports, LTD. 

217 East 85th Street 

Suite # 126 

New York, N.Y. 10028 

Update 

A flyer describing the ‘Mad Raq’ 

tennis rackets was provided by Glenn 

A. Bjorkman in 2005. 

Company: 

Madeline Hauptman (then named with 

her maiden name Mishel) obtained an 

U.S.A. Patent (outlined in detail 

below) regarding a stringing system 

in 1980, which was used for the ‘Mad 

Raq’ rackets. She was president of the 

company, which she also most likely 

brought to life in the early 1980’s. 

The Mad Raq string pattern has 16 

diagonal strings, in each of two 

directions, interwoven with 14 vertical 

strings. 

She claimed that this threedimensional 

arrangement spreads the impact of the 

ball out in six directions, thereby 

reducing vibrations. 

Omega Sports was another company 

licensed to use the Mad Raq pattern. 


1985/86: 

Graphite-70, 70% graphite fibres and 

30% Fibreglass, midsize, strung to the 

‘Mad Raq’ stringing system 

Patents: 

U.S.A. Patent 4 184 679 

Application filed March 8, 1978 

Patented Jan. 22, 1980 

Game Racket and Method of Making 

Same 

14 claims 

Abstract:...three sets of strings are 

strung through the head of a racket in 

a pattern, which forms a network 

across the head. Two of the sets are 

obliquely oriented the third set parallel 

to the longitudinal axis... 

Inventor: Madeline Mishel, New York, 

N.Y. U.S.A. 


Magnan Mfg. Corp. 

Tennis Racket Manufacturers 

Address: 13 Dexter St. 

North Attleboro, Mass. 

Company: 

In an ad, Aug. 1966, a public auction 

was announced to be conducted by 

Barnett Carter & Co., Inc. Providence, 

R.I. 

“Magnan Mfg. Corp. is liquidating its 

Real Estate, Machinery and Equipment 

but is not selling its Name or Good 

Will. Magnan Products will be 

manufactured at another source and 

will continue to be distributed.” 


From an ad in “Australasian Lawn 

Tennis”, Aug. 31, 1926. 

1926: 

The Magnan, a sturdy model whose 

shape supplies unusual strength to 

the frame, the Magnan is built for the 

hands of the champion. 

Sole Australian Distributors: J. O. 

Anderson & Co. Limited, 5 Hamilton 

St. Sydney. 

67


Update 


Match Mate 

a division of Crown Manufacturing 

8600 Darby Avenue 

Northridge 

California 91325, U.S.A. 

Two flyers of this company describing 

its rackets were provided by Glenn A. 

Bjorkman in 2005. 

Company: 

1984: 

Match Mate, distributed throughout 

the United States by 

US Sports Equipment Company 

14712 Franklin Avenue 

Tustin, California 92680 

Match Mate: Graphite 1983 


1983/1984: 

Graphite, oversize 

From a flyer of the company: 

“The Match Mate racquet is a giant 

step forward in the development of 

graphite frames. For the first time, 

graphite technology has been 

applied to an oversize design. A 

special process in its construction 

involves actual braiding of the 

fibres. Match Mate proved to be 

the strongest graphite frame 

available, regardless of size. 

Also, the Match Mate racquet is 

longer than other frames. This extra 

length gives you additional reach 

on ground strokes and additional 

leverage and head speed for serves 

and overheads.” 

Titanium, oversize 

made of drawn titanium metal 

Match Mate: Titanium 1983 

68



Maynard 

U.S.A. 

Update 

Patents: 

No. 4 772 021 

U.S. Patent 

filed June 27, 1986 

issued Sept. 20, 1988 

Inflatable Suspension Tube for Game 

Racket Head 

Inventor Michael B. Maynard, 

Portland, Oregon 

12 claims 

Abstract of patent 

The racket head consists of an outer 

and an inner frame insert. They are 

separated by inflatable tubes the 

pressure of which can be increased 

e.g by a pump. The string tension can 

be changed to suit by applying the 

pressure. 


Maynard Air Racquet, sold at eBay 

for $ 400.- in c. 2008 

c. 1989 

69


Update 


Montgomery Wards 

Department Store 

New York 

Company: 

Founded in the early 1870’s it was one 

of the leading department store chains 

and mail order houses in the U.S.A. 

until it filed for bankruptcy in 1997. 

Many rackets were sold under its own 

brand name: Marathon 


Earnway Edwards 

Estimated: early 1930’s 


Narragansett Machine 

Company 

Gymnasium Outfitters 

Addresses: 

1889 to 1890 

Providence R.I. 

After 1890: 

Pleasant Avenue, 

Pawtucket, Woodlawn section, R.I. 

After approx. 1900: 

Foot of Vale St. 

Pawtucket, Woodlawn 

After approx. 1930: 

Providence R.I. 

Company: 

The firm was established in 1882. It 

was first named A.E. Tenney 

Manufacturing Company of 

Pawtucket and it made foot-power 

lathes. 

It changed its name to Narragansett 

Machine Company in 1889. It bought 

Hood and Rice, a manufacturer of 

spindles, clamps and jaws, in 1902. 

The transition of the circular 

Narragansett mark to the linear one 

probably occurred after 1902. The 

company made light machinery, 

gymnastic equipment, lockers, 

bowling alleys, woodturning and also 

tennis rackets. 

In 1948, the Manufacturers Trading 

Co. of New York bought the plant. 

It is not known when Narragansett 

started to make its first tennis rackets 

and when it ceased to do so. At the 

beginning of the 20th century it often 

supplied gymnasiums with sports 

equipment, perhaps already including 

rackets. 


c. 1930: 

Thirty, solid frame. Bevelled on the 

inside. One wrapping at shaft. Concave. 

Sycamore heart. Sycamore shingles. 

Slightly combed handle. Butt leather. 

Narragansett: Thirty, c. 1930 

Narragansett: Twenty, c. 1932 

Brass screw. Engraved on Racket: 

Narragansett Machine Co. Trademark 

“Live Wood”, Pawtucket R.I 

1932: 

Twenty, solid frame. Concave. 

Sycamore heart. Sycamore shingles. 

Slightly chequered handle. Butt 

leather. Brass screw. Engraved on 

Racket: 

Narragansett Machine Co. Trademark 

“Live Wood”, Providence R.I 

c. 1933 to 1939: 

Forty 

Sixty 

Ninety 


From an auction catalogue, Morelle & 

Marchandet, Nov. 28/29, 1997. 

Premier 


Forty 



National Tennis Racket Co. 

(The) 


Early 1920’s: 

Collegian 

70



OSP Olympian 

5567Kearny Villa Road 

San Diego/California 92123 

Update 

Company: 

In a flyer (provided by Glenn A. 

Bjorkman) from early 1983 the 

company promoted its new rackets 

made from graphite fibres. 

“Our new line of OSP tennis racquets 

is the culmination of years of 

innovative sports racquet design and 

manufacturing” 

Rackets distributed or manufactured: 

1983: 

OSP G-1, midsize, 100% graphite 

OSP G-10, oversize, 80% graphite, 

20% glass fibre 


20% glass fibre 

OSP G-26, oversize, 100% graphite 


longer than the standard size racquet 

OSP Olympian: G-20 – 1983 

71


Update 


Partridge & Co., Horace 

From an 1889 Horace Partridge 

catalogue: 


1883: 

Peerless, concave, flat topped, new 

this year. 

1888: 

American Tate, new this year. This 

racket is modelled on the lines of the 

famous English Tate, costing $ 15.- to 

import, and is said by the best tennis 

players in the country to be superior 

to its English rival. 

Eclipse, new this year, frame of second 

growth ash, with convex sycamore 

throat piece. Cedar handle $ 4.-, or 

cork handle $ 4.50 

1889: 

New American Tate 

with cedar handle $ 5.50, 

with cork handle 50 cents extra. 

Peerless Racket, the Peerless has 

been popular for half a dozen years. 

Eclipse 

New Standard, convex, greatly 

improved for the season 1889. $ 3.- 

Practice, convex, $ 2.50 

No. 10, convex, smaller head than the 

Practice for juniors 

No. 5 X, convex, for children 

From an ad in “The Youth Companion”, 

May 19, 1892: 

1892: 

High-grade rackets: 

American Tate 

Lenox 

Champion, all $ 3.75 

Regular Stock: 

Peerless 

Eclipse 

American Tate Junior 

Special Prize Model, all $ 2.50 

Special collection: 

Practice 

Ajax 

Trojan, all $ 1.25 

Racket in the collection of Dr. H. 

Kerling: 

American Tate Junior, Model J, 14oz, 

concave, grooved handle. 



Ad of the company in “The Youth Companion”, 1892 

72





Favourite, solid ash, concave wedge, 

flat top. 

c. 1895 

Partridge: Favorite c. 1895 

New:information: 

Peadbody & Whitney 

Boston 

USA 


PDP Sports Company 

Glenn A. Bjorkman had a letter (from 

1979) in his possession from Starwin 

Industries Inc. 2661 Culver Avenue, 

Dayton, Ohio 45429, U.S.A., addressed 

to Victor Davis (please refer to page 

117 and 399), which is partly quoted 

below: 

... Starwin Industry Inc. is a 

manufacturer of fibreglass and 

graphite tennis rackets. In the past we 

have manufactured under private label, 

the ‘Fiberstaff’ and the ‘Fibergraph’ 

rackets for ‘Professionally Designed 

Products (PDP)’ in Cranbury, N.J. 

We are presently seeking a new 

distributor for these rackets for the 

1980 tennis season ... 

Starwin Ind. is also interested in 

manufacturing a racket of your design 

and specifications. We also have an 

open throat standard sized fibreglass 

racket and a graphite oversized 

racket of our design available. 

Norman T. Staub, President 

Update 


Peck & Snyder 

Manufacturers 


From “PECK & SNYDER on LAWN 

TENNIS RULES, as adopted by the 

UNITED STATES NATIONAL LAWN 

TESNNIS ASSOCIATION”, published 

1885: all with concave wedge and flat 

topped 

Franklin 

Far and Near 

Staten Island 

Providence 

St. George 

From an ad in “Sporting Goods”, page 

53, 1890: 

Beeckman Cup 

Beeckman Expert 

Beeckman Tournament 

Beeckman Special 

“Our complete 294-Page Illustrated 

Catalogue of all in- and outdoor sports 

sent on receipt of five two-cent stamps 

for postage.” 


Franklin Expert, concave wedge, 

c. 1895 


eBay 2006: 

Nonpareil, extreme flat top racket with 

concave wedge 

c. 1887 

Peck & Snyder: Franklin Expert, 

c. 1895 

Peadbody & Whitney: Nonpareil, c. 1887 

73


New information to page 

280: 

Penn – General Tire 


The General Tire & Rubber 

Company 

Athletic Products 

Akron/Ohio 

U.S.A. 


1967: 

Pennsylvania Centre 

Court 

laminated racket 

Update 


Princeton Sports Products, Inc. 

Box 648 

Exeter, NH 03833 

Company: 

This company distributed the 

“Durbin” rackets (please consult the 

book on Durbin page 150) as shown 

on a leaflet of Nov.1982, which was 

provided by Glenn A. Bjorkman. 


Racquetech, Inc. 



Company: 

Please consult the chapter on Fox 

Tennis Racquets Co., Inc. 



74


Update 


Reach & Co. 

Company: 

Excerpt from a publication of the 

„Philadelphia Athletics Historical 

Society“. For more detailed 

information please consult the website 

of the society: 

www.philadelphiaathletics.org/ 

history/philsfirstowner.html 

Alfred J. Reach (1840-1928) 

Pioneer baseball professional. His 

company, A.J. Reach & Co., maker of 

sporting goods, was at 1820 Chestnut 

Street, Philadelphia. 

A.J. Reach was born in London, England 

on May 25, 1840. He came to the 

United States at the age of one and 

was raised in Brooklyn. Reach spent 

his teen years working in an iron 

factory. When he wasn’t working, 

Reach played baseball. 

He was the first professional baseball 

player. Reach played for „the 

Athletics“ through 1875. 

Reach noticed around that time the 

increasing demand for baseballs, 

bats, and associated equipment as 

the National Pastime grew rapidly in 

popularity. Seeing a need to supply 

the growing marker, Reach opened a 

sporting goods store at 6 South 

Eighth Street in 1874. 

His business prospered, and by 1881, 

Reach moved to a large store at 23 

South Eighth Street. He also took in 

a partner Benjamin F. Shibe, an expert 

on leather who had gone from 

the manufacture of whips to 

producing baseballs and gloves. 

Soon the men opened a manufacturing 

plant at Palmer and Tulip Streets. 

Reach agreed to head the new Philadelphia 

National League franchise. 

The team was christened the 

„Phillies“ because, Reach said, „It 

tells you who we are and where we’re 

from.“ On May 1,1883, the Phillies 

had their first Opening Day. 

Since that first Opening Day in 1883, 

118 more Opening Days have come 

and gone for the Phillies, while the 

Athletics have faded into history. 

Time has proven the accuracy of Al 

Reach’s forecast, and the Phillies 

remain a bedrock of the National 

League. 

The A.J. Reach Company continued 

to flourish during the 1890s. The 

company opened another plant in 

Branford, Ontario and moved its store 

to a large building at 1820 Chestnut 

Street. Reach and Shibe’s partnership 

stayed strong. When the new 

American League was formed in 1901, 

Reach recommended that his partner 

become president of the Philadelphia 

franchise. 

Shibe became president of the new 

Philadelphia Athletics, and the A.J. 

Reach ball became the official 

baseball of the American League. The 

Athletics and other American League 

teams, however, conducted player 

raids on the Phillies to stock their 

own teams with talent. The Phillies 

lost many star players, including 

Lajoie, Delahanty and Flick, and 

Reach suffered financially crippling 

losses. What had been a perennially 

contending Phillies club plummeted 

into 7th place in the 1902 season 

because of key player losses. 

In his 60s and weary of dealing with 

player raids and other fractious 

league issues, Reach sold the Phillies 

after the 1902 season for $170,000. 

Later, he sold his sporting goods 

store. Reach’s plant continued to 

produce baseballs, gloves and other 

sporting goods equipment, and for a 

number of decades, it published the 

official American League Reach Baseball 

Guide. In the early 1920s, Reach 

sold his plant to rival A.G. Spalding 

Company and retired. He lived his 

final years in Atlantic City, dying 

there on January 14, 1928. 

A. J. Reach letterhead, May 29, 1888 

75


Update 

Selected rackets in collections: 

The Penn. Solid frame. Mahogany 

heart. Laminated wedge according to 

“Richey’s U.S.A. Patent No. 779 184 

filed 1904. Cedar shingles. Combed 

handle. Butt leather. Brass screw. 

On Racket: Reach, Trademark, The 

Sign of Quality, Reg. US Pat. Off. 


In the collection of Robert Jordan: 

American Driver, c. 1922 

Cup Defender, c. 1930 

Rackets offered at auctions: 

A racket by this company was offered 



Varsity, wavy walnut concave wedge, 

scored, octagonal handle. 

c. 1912 

Reach & Co.: 

The Penn, c. 1910 

This racket was offered for auction at eBay between 2000 and 2005 (Dr. H. 

Kerling): 

A. J. Reach: Tournament c. 1910 

A. J. Reach: 

Quaker City Model c. 1910 

Reach & Co: Driver c. 1920 

76


Update 


Scepter 

by 

Graphite Master, Inc. 

A few bulletins of this company 

describing its tennis rackets were 

provided by Glenn A. Bjorkman in 

2005. 

Company: 

‘Since 1968 Scepter graphite racquets 

have earned notoriety for innovative 

racquet technology. 

We claim exclusive rights to the 

midsize Scepter X-L shape. Patented 

1970. SCEPTER offers you a patented 

solid core graphite Kevlar frame.’ 

In the 70’s the rackets sold by the 

company were made in the U.S.A. 


1981: 

XT-Mid, more of an oval face, midsize, 

solid core, please amend in the book. 

X-L, solid graphite, DuPont Kevlar, 

construction, midsize, egg shaped 

face. 

X-L 2, solid graphite, DuPont Kevlar, 

construction, oversize, long stretched 

oval face. ‘For good manoeuvrability 

it is head light, light overall, and 

streamlined in shape. The solid 

structure has better head speed 

because it is not thick like other hollow 

or foam filled graphites’. New in 1981. 

AL-2, aluminium frame, Alcoa 7046, 

oversize 

Al Mid, aluminium frame, Alcoa 7046, 

midsize 

77


Update 


J. F. Schmelzer & Sons 

543 Main Street 

Kansas City, Mo. 

Company: 

The Schmelzer Arms Company was 

founded by a German immigrant in 

Leavenworth, Kansas in 1857. Thirty 

years later, the owners moved the 

business to Kansas City. 

Originally a gun store, the company 

became a national leader in the sporting 

goods business. 


Black Demon, c. 1920 

Advertising card c. 1900 

Schmelzer’s: Black Demon, c. 1920 

Letterhead 1919 

78


Update 


Sears, Roebuck and Co. 

Chicago, U.S.A. 

Company: 

Large Mail Order House and 

Department Store in the U.S.A. 


SET 

Stolle Emerson Tennis 

12612 Raymer St. 

North Hollywood CA 91605 

A flyer of this company describing its 

tennis rackets was provided by Glenn 

A. Bjorkman in 2005. 

Company: 

Fred Stolle and Roy Emerson 

established this company in the mid 

1980’s. 

Slogan for advertising: 

“Official Racquet of the Grandmasters.” 


c. 1960: 

Super Ace, laminated frame for 

Championship Play 

c. 1965: 

Mohawk, laminated frame 


1986: 

Senior, oversize, aluminium frame, 

nylon throat, foamed on handle. 

Junior, ditto, however, shorter. 

Bantam, ditto, short 

Fred Stolle Oversize, composite 

Emmo Midsize, composite 

Ceramic Boron Oversize, composite 

with additional ceramic and boron 

fibres. 

Ceramic Boron Midsize, composite 

with additional ceramic and boron 

fibres. 

Aerodynamic, composite 

Custom, composite 


Simsons 

U.S.A. 





Larchmont, The, convex wedge with 

maker’s circular gold transfer label. 

c. 1920 

79




Please note the addresses given in the 

ad in “The Country Illustrated Monthly 

Magazine”, 1888, section “Sporting 

Goods”: 

108 Madison St., Chicago and 

241 Broadway, New York. 

There were probably sales outlets. 

Update 

Racket manufactured: 

1888: 

No. 9, The Slocum Racket, the best 

shape known, made of very finest stock 

obtainable, and strung with extra 

selected gut, ebonite throat piece, 

cedar handle. $ 6.- 

Left and right on shoulders engraved: 

Chicago and New York 

Comment: This racket is much sought 

after by collectors and a nice piece to 

own, the throat piece being black 

ebonite. 

No. 9c, ditto, but with cork handle. 

No. 10, ditto, cedar handle, but strung 

with finest English gut. $ 7.- 

No. 8, The Tuxedo Club $ 5.50 

No. 7, The Windermere $ 5.50 

No. 5, The Lakeside $ 4.- 

No. 4, The Greenwood $ 3.- 

No. 3, Geneva $ 2.50 

No. 2, Favourite $ 2.- 

No. 1, Boy’s Own $ 1.50 

The Junior, $ 3.- 

No. 1 Boy’s Own 

Spalding Lawn Tennis Sets, starting 

from $ 10.- to $ 40.- 


Bill Tilden, open throat, photodecal 

picture racket. 

c. 1932 

Bill Beckmann, photodecal picture 

racket. 

c. 1960 

80


Update 


Spalding A. G. & Bros., to page 

471: 

Wright & Ditson, to page 304: 

Reach & Co., to page 279: 

Peck & Snyder, and to page 399: 

Victor Sporting Goods. 

Abstract from an article by Randy 

Crow published in “The Tennis Collector” 

No. 41, Spring 2002, page 10. 

Spalding A. G. & Bros. 

Albert Goodwill Spalding retired from 

professional baseball with a sore arm 

at the age of 26 and opened a sporting 

goods store in Chicago with his 

brother and brother-in-law in 1876, 

hence the name A.G. Spalding & Bros. 

In 1879, he entered manufacturing 

when he purchased the Wilkins Bat & 

Croquet Co. and that was the start of 

his sporting goods empire. 

Also in the late 1870’s, two other professional baseball players opened 

sporting goods stores, A.J. Reach a store in Philadelphia and George Wright, 

who had played on the same team with Spalding, once in Boston. 

Wright merged his business with Henry Ditson in 1878 forming Wright & 

Ditson. (In early advertising the company states that it was established in 

1871, may be the date that Ditson started his business.) 

Both companies soon began manufacturing some of their own product lines 

like Spalding did. 

In 1885, Ditson died and Spalding purchased Ditson’s half of the company. 

Reach followed by selling his entire company to Spalding, in 1889. Spalding 

went on to purchase Peck & Snyder in 1892 and phased out the brand, while 

assimilating its operations into Spalding Bros. 

With all these companies under his direction, Spalding discovered that it 

didn’t make sense to maintain separate manufacturing facilities for each 

company. He decided that the three companies (Spalding & Bros., Wright & 

Ditson, and Reach) should continue to have their own branded product lines, 

however, he moved to consolidate manufacturing operations. 

Around 1900, he directed that Spalding Bros. would make all the golf clubs and 

other sports, Reach would handle mostly baseball & football, Wright & Ditson, 

which in 1890 already declared that they were “The Largest Maker of Tennis 

Supplies in the World” was designated as the tennis manufacturer for the 

group. 

Spalding Bros., however, would continue to 

manufacture tennis equipment under its own name 

outside of the U.S.A. 

As a result, by the early 1900’s, virtually every 

tennis racket made in the U.S.A. with the Spalding 

or Reach trademark was made at a Wright & Ditson 

plant! As time went on, the companies not only 

shared patents, but also endorsers like Les Stoefen 

or Pancho Gonzales. At the same time they 

maintained separate product lines. 

In addition it was obvious to the informed observer, 

that the allied companies never publicised their 

relationship. As exceptions to the rule, they did co– 

brand a few items starting in the early 1930’s. 

Spalding died in 1915. By 1919, Wright & Ditson had 

acquired Victor Sporting Goods, which they operated 

as a division under the name Wright & Ditson 

Victor through at least 1924. Later on the name was 

dropped and the division folded into the parent 

company. 

Wright died in 1936. Spalding Bros. bought his half 

of the company in the following year. Spalding 

continued, however, to use the Wright & Ditson 

name on tennis products until at least 1954. 

Wright & Ditson, Top Flite c. 1930 and 

A.G. Spalding & Bros., Top Flite c. 1930 

Both rackets refer to the same U.S.A. Patent. 

Rackets manufactured (Spalding): 

From a catalogue from Josef Mühlhauser’s, Vienna, 

in the possession of Dr. H. Kerling: 

1902: 

Varsity, convex, oval frame 

Columbia, ditto 

Okomo, ditto 

Practice, ditto, youth 

Favorite, for boys and girls 

Geneva, for beginners 

Greenwood 

Lakeside 

Slocum 

81


Update 

Slocum, junior 

Spalding, combed mahogany handle 

Spalding, combed cane handle 

Lee Draisin, Martinez, CA – U.S.A., 

offered additional information 

concerning the Spalding Smasher, 

which was introduced in 1968 (page 

366): 

“It was designed by Paul Sullivan. He 

was the Captain of Harvard’s tennis 

team in the 1960’s and was the number 

one player in New England in the late 

60’s.The early models of the Smasher 

carried a small decal on the cross bar 

in the throat area with his name on it. 

Spalding with the Smasher (frame of 

aluminium tubing) was now in a 

position to compete with the Wilson 

T2000 (frame of steel tubing).” 

Amendment: 

In the table for Spalding rackets on 

page 371, last column, U.S.A. Pat No. 

1.66.466 was given for some rackets. It 

should read U.S.A. Pat. No. 1.664.466. 

Please add the following rackets to 

the table in proper alphabetical order: 

A.G. Spalding Bros. racket with a knob 

carved handle. 

c. 1925 

Fairlawn, flat top, with eagle 

trademark (an eagle holds a folding 

straight razor in his beak), Syracuse, 

New York. 

c. 1895 

Majestic, concave, grooved rim to 

protect the strings. Smooth handle. 

c. 1930 

Model HA, 1911 (flat top, concave) to 

1921 (probably oval now). 

c. 1911 to 1921 

Lillarney, Pat. No. 4865, Feb. 27, 1904 

(laminated wedge) 

c. 1914 

Special, steel racket, presumably not 

manufactured by Dayton for Spalding. 

Randy Crow reports that the Spalding 

steel racket in his possession has gut 

strings and not piano wire strings as 

all the Daytons. Its appearance is also 

different. Spalding was assigneé to 

U.S.A. Patent No. 1.696.251 regarding 

the manufacture of metal rackets of 

tubing and granted in Dec. 25, 1928 to 

Harold D. Penney. 

c. 1930 

From an ad in a German magazine in 1928 

Aristocrat, open throat racket, similar 

to the open throat ‘Top-Flite’. 

Early 1930’s 

82



Speedwood MFG Co. 

Pawtucket R.I. 

U.S.A. 

Update 

Company: 

No information is available. Dr. Kerling 

provided a sales catalogue of 1935. It is 

interesting to note that the company 

MacGregor, page 257 in the Book, had 

rackets on the market named Speedwood 

and Fleetwood after WWII, the names , 

which were also used by Speedwood 

Mfg. Co. in 1935. 


1935: 

Speedwood One Star 

Speedwood Two Star 

Speedwood Three Star - Nüsslein Model 

Vitawood One Star 

Vitawood Two Star 

Vitawood Three Star - Nüsslein Model 

Wovenwood One Star 

Wovenwood Two Star 

Wovenwood Three Star- Nüsslein 

Model 

Fleetwood One Star 

Fleetwood Two Star 

Fleetwood Three Star 

Tulipwood (Rosenholz) 

Rosewood (Palisander) 

Whitewood 

Maplewood 

83


Update 


SP. IN. 

An additional flyer of this company 

describing the ‘SP. IN.’ tennis rackets 

was provided by Glenn A. Bjorkman in 

2005. 


Taylor (Alex) & Co. 


Haggett, concave solid ash frame with 

a combed handle. 


Another address was shown: 

SPorts INnovations, Inc., 

1014 K St., 

Washington, DC 20001 

c. 1987: 

G-200, 100% graphite, 17 inch long 

main strings leading through the yoke 

similar to the G-300 on the picture. 

A-2, aluminium with a nylon yoke, same 

construction as the G-200 

Alex Taylor: Haggett, c. 1925 


Tennis Cheater Drawing 

c/o Court Club Sports Magazine 

2401 Plum Grove Road 

Palatine, IL 60067 

U.S.A. 

SP. IN.: G-200, c. 1987 

Offered at eBay in 2008 

Provided by Rodney Lack, Melbourne, 

Australia 

Company: 

In a flyer of the company from 1982, 

which was forwarded by Glenn A. 

Bjorkman. a tennis racket is described 

with the unusual name ‘The Cheater’. 

It has a bent handle, 19°, identical to 

‘The Gripper’ from BioSports Corp. 

covered on page 96 in the book and in 

this Update. The Cheater was 

apparently first with that particular 

feature. For further details please 

consult the chapter on ‘The Gripper’. 


1982: 

The Cheater, midsize aluminium frame, 

19° bent handle, tapering towards the 

end without butt cap. 

84


Update 


Tremont Research Co., Inc. 

341 West Superior Street 

Chicago, Illinois 60610 

U.S.A. 

A few bulletins of this company 

describing its products related to 

tennis and racquetball were provided 

by Glenn A. Bjorkman in 2005. 

Company: 

The company was established in 1969 

and ceased operations in 1991. 

President was Daniel Kipnis, treasurer 

George Miyagawa (1975). 

The company produced tennis 

rackets, racquet ball rackets, stringing 

machines and stringing clamps. It was 

claimed that the rackets were made in 

Chicago. In 1975 the company had 

about 25 employees. 


1974: 

The MAG 1 shown and described in the ‘book’ was already made in 1974. In 

a price list of the same year it was designated as MAG I and not MAG 1. 

The racket has moulded in holes, the composite material between the two 

aluminium sheets consists of Nylon reinforced with 20% graphite fibres. 

Its retail price unstrung was $ 50.-, strung with Nylon $ 60.- 


Tryon, Edw. K., Company 

817 Arch Street 

Philadelphia PA 

U.S.A. 

In the 1960’s: 

Tryon Supply Co. 

Company: 

Edward K. Tryon opened purchases 

of Northwest guns and rifles in 1846/ 

47. In 1889 the company already used 

the famous ‘Pennell’ trademark for 

almost every type of tackle imaginable. 

‘Pennell’ was registered as trademark 

for the company in 1905. Edw. K. Tryon 

contracted with whoever had what he 

wanted, and the ‘Pennell’ label was 

stamped on the finished product. 

Pennell was not a company, regardless 

of the reels that are stamped ‘Pennell 

Reel Company’. 

Famous products distributed by the 

company were: Tryon farm guns, 

lawnmowers, trade guns for the Board 

of Ordnance during the Westward 

Movement in the nineteenth century. 

Robert H. Jordan, fellow collector, 

states: “Tryon was a retail sporting 

goods store. I have seen their 

catalogues (circa 1950) when their 

offerings were of conventional brands, 

such as Spalding and Wilson tennis 

rackets. 

Pennell – Trademark 

85


New information 

Variety Manufacturing & 

Engineering Co. 

Fulton, Leisure Products Division 

810 W. Fulton St. 

Chicago, Ill. 60607, U.S.A. 

A flyer of this company describing its 

rackets was provided by Glenn A. 

Bjorkman in 2005 

Update 

Company: 

‘Metal fabricating firm with over 

twenty years (quoted in the flyer in 

1969) of experience manufacturing 

extruded aluminium products.’ 


1969/1970 

Fulton, controlled-flex aluminium 

racquet. It comes in gold anodised or 

natural anodised finish in two 

qualities: ‘Wippy’ for the average 

player or ‘Stiff’ for the stronger player 

– no rivets, no welds – almost circular 

face of standard size. Standard 

stringing with Ashaway Multi-Ply 

Nylon Strings. 

Price as an introductory offer in 1969: 

US $ 12,50 

Patents: 

The company claimed that a patent 

was pending for this racket. 

Variety Manufacturing: Fulton 1969 

86



Victor Sporting Goods Co. 

Chicago 


Wanamaker, Fairment John 

U.S.A. 

Update 


Challenge 

frame made of solid ash. Convex wedge 

of mahogany. Handles with shingles 

of cedar. Slightly combed handle. Butt 

leather and brass screw at neck. 

Engraved with golden inlay: Victor 

Sporting Goods Co. showing a bat as 

trademark. 


From a Victor catalogue auctioned on 

eBay 2004: 

1916: 

TR 600 Varsity, solid ash, convex, 

fishtail handle 

TR 500 Tournament, solid ash, 

concave, combed handle 

TR 400 Collegiate, solid ash, convex, 

combed handle 

Company: No information available. 


From a Christie’s auction June 6, 1996: 

Fairment John Wanamaker, convex 

wedge, golden graphics, octagonal 

handle. 

c. 1895 


Tablow 

c. 1922 

Challenge 

c. 1928 

Victor Sporting Goods: 

Challenge, c. 1904 

87


Update 


Wilson Sporting Goods Co. 

From an eBay auction in 2004. 


Riviera Model, Suzanne Lenglen, (in 

the table as Lenglen Riviera) 

On the side of the racket: 

‘Wilson-Western Sporting Goods Co.’, 

and on the butt end ‘Thos. E. Wilson 

& Co.’ 

On the wedge: Licensed by Williams & 

Co., Paris. 


In Wilson’s catalogue of spring/ 

summer 1928 the “Indestructo Steel 

Racket” was mentioned. It resembles 

the Champion in a collection: 

1929: 

Indestructo-Champion, frame made of 

tubular steel. Orange and black 

painted. Holes for strings punched and 

rounded. No heart. Tubular legs are 

covered by handle shaped sheet metal 

pieces extending down to the butt end 

and covered with stripes of cork. 

Similarities to Dayton’s rackets are 

obvious. Marked on the racket: DADK? 

Champion 

Material: Workmanship guaranteed. 

Patent Pending. 

Remark: Randy Crow reports that he 

has several of these rackets in his 

possession and that there is no doubt 

that they were made for Wilson by 

Dayton. 

Please add the Indestructo-Champion 

to the table on page 455. 

Wilson: Indestructo-Champion, made 

by the Dayton Steel Racquet Company 

for Wilson 


88


Update 



Misprint on page 472: Wright & Ditson 

racket, c. 1982, should read 1892. 

Company: 

From an ad in “The Illustrated Monthly 


Goods”, page 16: 

“We have a selected stock of fishing 

tackle and camping outfits”. 

George Wright and Henry A. Ditson 

The company advertises itself as 

publisher for the “Official Lawn 

Tennis Rules” as adopted by the 

United States National Lawn Tennis 

Association in “The Illustrated 

Monthly Magazine”, June 1888, 

section “Sporting Goods”, page 33. 

The address of the company given 

reads: 580 Washington St., Boston, 

Mass. 

Wright & Ditson: Surprise, c. 1900 





1882: 

Triangle, concave, flat topped, 

therefore the shape of a triangle. 

Club, similar to the triangle, but 

rounder 

Special 




“Our Model Racquets”, used by all 

leading players of the U.S.A. 

1883: 

Triangle 

Davis Cup, c. 1911 with 

a convex/concave wedge 

1887: 

Wentworth, advertised by W&D in 

1887 – no flat top. 




1888: 

Sears Special, used by R.D. Sears, in 

his Championship Contest at Newport. 

Strung with imported Red and White 

English Gut. $ 7.- 

From the same magazine, but 1890, 

page 50: 

1890: 

Sears Special, handle finely 

chequered 

From the same magazine, but 1893, 

page 57: 

1893: 

Sears Special, handle combed 

89


Update 

Supplementary information: 

Please add to the table for Wright & 

Ditson rackets on page 476: 


Illegible, with cork covered handle, 

c. 1900 

BGI, c. 1910 

Wright & Ditson: BGI, c. 1910 

Interesting to note: 

Bridgeport Athletic MFG. Co. 

Wright & Ditson Successors 

Paramount with gut strings? 

c. 1930 

(Randy Crow reports that the Wright 

& Ditson steel racket in his possession 

has gut strings and not piano wire 

strings as all the Daytons. Its 

appearance is also different. Spalding, 

parent company of Wright & Ditson, 

was assigneé to U.S.A. Patent No. 

1.696.251 regarding the manufacture 

of metal rackets of tubing and granted 

in Dec. 25, 1928 to Harold D. Penney). 


Crescent, solid ash frame with a 

“wavy” wedge. 

c. 1910 

Racket from a collection: 

Surprise, c. 1900, with a concave 

and laminated wedge. It has one 

wooden insert of different colour in 

the centre of its wedge. 

It is apparently a forerunner of the 

laminated wedge with two inserts 

made by many companies to W. 

Richey’s US-Patent No. 779,184 of 

1905. 

eBay 2008: 

DeLuxe, open throat, 

c. 1932 

Please add, years made not known: 

Anzag 

Challenger 

Boston 

Ace, page 475, change handle from 

leather to regular grooving (collection 

Ron Halberg, Chatham, Ill. U.S.A.). 

90


Update 


Zebest Racquet Sports Corp. 

Company: 

The company made also stringing 

machines besides tennis rackets. 

It claimed that it had patents pending 

in many countries on its Powerflex 

Zone (ripples along both sides of the 

open throat area), which was applied 

to its Snaky rackets. 

Patents were also applied for a 

vibration absorption system for its 

VAS rackets in the U.S.A. and R.O.C. 

Vibration Absorbtion System VAS 


1988: from top to bottom highest to 

lowest price tag 

VAS-96 

VAS-96 G 

Snaky I 

Snaky II 

UFO-98C 

UFO-88 

Pro-44 

Pro-88 

Pro-99 

Pro-108 

Pro-109 

Marble Graphite-55 

Marble Graphite-105 

Future Star I 

Future Star II 



A. Bjorkman. 

Powerflex Zone 

91

Book of Tennis Rackets Australian Rackets 

Update 

Australian Rackets 

Alexander (The) Patent Racket Co. Ltd. 

Brewer (The) Racket Company 

Campbells 

Chesterfield 

Dean G., Dulwich E. 

Dodge & Co. 


Empire Racket Company 

Fin Sports Ltd. 

Hedley’s (L.W.) Pty. Ltd. 

Lassetter & Co. Limited 

Mahoney’s Direct Tennis Supply 

N.S.W. Sports Store 

Oliver Racket Company Ltd. 

Slazengers Australia 

Spalding Australia 

Spider Web Sports Products 

Stellar International Sporting Goods Pty. Ltd. 

92


Additional information to page 63 

Alexander (The) 

Patent Racket Company 

Limited 

Launceston, Tasmania, Australia 

Update 

Company: 

Established in 1926 (deduced from 

1951 advertisement “Silver Anniversary”). 

Their most famous racket was the flat 

top Cressy Wizard, made for Jack 

Crawford (Wimbledon, French, Australian 

1933 and World No. 1) in the 

early 1930’s. Crawford was introduced 

to an old flat top racket when playing 

socially at a party at Norman Brookes’ 

home. He was so impressed with its 

playing qualities that he asked an 

Alexander representative, who was 

also at the Brookes’ party, to make 

one for him. The resulting “Cressy 

Wizard” became one of the most popular 

rackets of the 1930’s, and it was 

Crawford’s trademark. Norman 

Brookes (Wimbledon 1907, 1914) was 

known as “The Wizard” during his 

playing days in the early 1900’s, so 

presumably this was the source of the 

Cressy Wizard name. 

Alexander was one of Australia’s most 

popular rackets until the late 1950’s, 

when it was apparently acquired by 

Spalding Australia – A Spalding 

Cressy Perfect racket with the 

Alexander Cressy Perfect motif was 

made c.1960 and Alexander rackets 

disappeared from about that time. 

The Cressy Wizard gradually went out 

of favour – although it suited 

Crawford’s baseline game, it was not 

good for low volleys. Also, according 

to one report, the frame cracked frequently 

owing to the stresses imposed 

on the flat top by the higher stringing 

tension compared to the original flat 

top rackets. Alexander subsequently 

introduced a range of semi-flat top 

rackets, to complement its more conventional 

oval shaped rackets. 

Alexander also made badminton and 

squash rackets. 

From a Hartley’s Sports Stores Catalogue 

1928: 

Topspin (27/6) 

Dover (40/-) 

Hunter (65/-) 

Cressy (85/-) 

93


Update 

production throughout. Alexander 

pioneered cold bent laminated frame, 

speed cane handle, comfortable grip, 

refinement in style and appearance, 

recessed overlay, perfect balance 

without mechanical aid.” 

This section with all illustrations was 

contributed by Adrian Keats, 

Newtown, Victoria, Austr., Oct. 2001 

Alexander: Cressy Perfect c. 1954 

Additional information: 

Company: 

From “Tennis and Golf in Australia”, 

Aug. 15, 1930. 

Ad by Alexander: 

“Australians!! 

Do you realise what Alexander’s are 

doing in the manufacture of sporting 

material, right at our door?” 

Pictures of the factory are shown in 

the ad where they claim to be the 

“largest tennis racket manufacturers 

in Australasia”. 

Approx. 150 workmen were employed 

at that time. 

In a second ad in the same magazine J. 

O. Anderson is shown in action using 

his new “J. O. Anderson” autographed 

model. 

Alexander: Cressy Wizard Flat Top, 

c. 1934 

Hartley’s Sports Stores Catalogue 

1934/35: 

“Manufactured from the very highest 

grade materials by skilled craftsmen 

under new methods of construction, 

the strength and durability of an 

Alexander Racket can always be relied 

upon.” 

Cressy Perfect (75/-) 

Cressy Wizard (75/-) 

Speed King (75/-) 

Cressy Hardcourt (70/-) 

Cyclone (60/-) 

Hurricane Flat Top (55/-) 

Jim Willard Special (50/-) 

Marathon (45/-) 

Alexander Logo (Trade Mark Reg.) 

Speedwing (37/6) 

Dauntless Flat Top (37/6) 

Topspin (30/-) 

Fearless Flat Top (25/-) 

Hotshot (21/-) 

Cressy Junior (21/-) 

Alexander De Luxe (squash) (45/-) 

Sports Goods Retailer 

1938: 

“Alexander Rackets are easier to sell, 

because… 

ALEXANDER is the only Australianmade 

racket that has proved good 

enough to win the world’s title at 

Wimbledon. ALEXANDER is a quality 


1930: 

J. O. Anderson, autographed, 

concave, combed wooden handle. 

Three bindings at shoulders. 

1931: 

From an ad in “Tennis and Golf in 

Australia”, Jan. 1, 1931. 

J. O. Anderson, Super Hardcourt, 

concave, combed wooden handle 

Cressy de Luxe, Super Hardcourt, 

concave, combed wooden handle 

Rackets in the collection of Ted 

a’Beckett, 2001: 

Cressy Model de Luxe, The Alexander 

Patent Racket Co. Ltd. Trade Mark 

Reg. Made expressly for Hardley’s 

(Sports Stores). 


Cressy Wizard, Speed Model. Flat 

top. World’s Record Breaker. 


Peerless, Tournament Model. Made 

by Alexander. Makers of the famous 

Cressy 5 star rackets. 

94



Cressy Hardcourt, Championship 

Model. A product de-luxe Alexander. 

Certified star quality ARMA. 


Rackets in the collection of Rodney 

Lack, 2005: 

Yarrabat de Luxe, c. 1954 

Update 

“Yesterday’s Tasmanian innovators” 

Information source: Tasmanian 

Inventions and Innovations, 

published by the Queen Victoria 

Museum and Art Gallery, 1987. 

Alexander tennis racket, 1920s. 

Alfred Alexander, Launceston 

Alfred Alexander invented the first 

laminated tennis racket in the world 

and patented the process. 

Alexander and S.B. Hopwood 

established the first Alexander Patent 

Racket Company Ltd factory in 

Wentworth Street, Launceston, in 

1926. In its early years, the company 

attempted to use Tasmanian timber 

but after exhaustive tests it became 

necessary to import high quality Ash 

from England. 

The company was the first Australian 

company to wholly manufacture 

tennis rackets and became one of the 

foremost manufacturers of sporting 

goods in the Southern Hemisphere, 

with branches in every state and a 

wide international export market. 

Champion tennis player Jack Crawford 

adopted and endorsed the Alexander 

racket and used it in 1933 when he 

won Wimbledon. 

BELIEVE IN YOUR IDEAS 

INVENTION: 

ALEXANDER TENNIS RACKET, 

1920S 

INVENTOR: 

ALFRED ALEXANDER, 

LAUNCESTON 

Alfred Alexander invented the first 

laminated tennis racket in the world 

and patented the process. 

Alexander and S.B. Hopwood 

established the first Alexander Patent 

Racket Company Ltd factory in 

Wentworth Street, Launceston, in 

1926. In its early years, the company 

attempted to use Tasmanian timber but 

after exhaustive tests it became 

necessary to import high quality ash 

from England. 

The company was the first Australian 

company to wholly manufacture tennis 

rackets and became one of the 

foremost manufacturers of sporting 

goods in the Southern Hemisphere, 

with branches in every state and a 

wide international export market. 

Flyer published on the internet by the 

Department of Economic Development, 

Tasmania (2008) 

www.development.tas.gov.au/ 

innovation/tasmanians2.html - 20k - 

WE DO 

Champion tennis player Jack Crawford 

adopted and endorsed the Alexander 

racket and used it in 1933 when he 

won Wimbledon. 

95


Brewer (The) 

Racket Company, 

Newport, Victoria, Australia 

Company: 

The Brewer company was established 

in the early 1930’s with a factory in 

Newport, Victoria and a depot in Fink’s 

Building, 6 Elizabeth Street, 

Melbourne. It manufactured tennis, 

squash, and badminton rackets. 

Reprinted from a Brewer Catalogue 

(Estimated 1937): 

The Rackets of Distinction. From Log 

to Player’s Hand. 

By deeds, not words. To bring logs 

thousands of miles from Canada, 

convert the timber into rackets and 

export them back to their native 

country again, surely is some 

achievement for Australian ingenuity. 

In manufacturing Brewer rackets, we 

start right at the beginning – meaning 

that all of the scores of operations, 

from sawing the raw Canadian Ash 

Logs, to the stringing of the finished 

frames, are carried out entirely in the 

Brewer factory. This timber, chosen 

for its toughness and non-splitting 

qualities, is imported direct from 

staunch and trusted Canadian friends 

who forward the selected logs in 

batches up to 750 at a time. Our 

Canadian Ash, with its stringy texture 

and twisted grain, must not be 

confused with so-called English Ash 

or the Australian building hardwood 

from which numbers of inferior rackets 

are made. The slow process of milling 

and seasoning, a study in itself, 

requires utmost care and attention, 

for this initial treatment forms the 

foundation so necessary in building 

perfect woodwork. Constant and 

practical personal supervision, plus 

the desire to create a superlative article 

has resulted in Brewer Rackets finding 

a market for themselves in Africa, The 

Continent, U.S.A., Canada, Eastern 

Countries and New Zealand as well as 

all States of Australia. Becoming more 

popular every day, Badminton and 

Squash are most fascinating indo 

recreations. For each, Brewer Rackets 

are offered in two models. 

The “Style-Leader”, with its flexible 

cane handle, unbreakable throat, 

reinforced shoulders and comfortable 

leather grip, is unchallengeable. 

Again, for Squash, the famous 

diamond strung flat top is in great 

demand, it being recognised as the 

most practical racket for otherwise 

unreturnable shots. “Victory”, all 

white oval models, for Badminton and 

Squash. Ideal for hard play, but lacking 

the refinements of the “Style-Leader”. 

Brewer: Style Leader with a decal of an Indian 

c. 1937 

Update 


c. 1937: 

Style Leader 

oval and semi-flat 65/-80/-, W’sale/ 

Retail 

R.O.C. Autograph 

oval and semi-flat 60/-75/ 

Centurion 


Vanquisher 

semi-flat-fop only 

Black Hawk 

oval only 

Captivator 

oval only 

Flying Chief 

oval and semi-flat 

Invader 

oval only 

Olympian 

oval and semi-flat 

Charioteer 

oval only 26/-32/6 

Standard Bearer 


Before selecting your new racket, be 

sure your dealer has the full stocks of 

the above models. If any difficulty is 

experienced, communicate direct. 

Brewer Rackets feature: 

The world’s strongest laminated 

Canadian Ash frames. Practical and 

graceful modern shapes, oval and flat 

top. Famous Brewer diamond 

strung flat tops (6 models). 

Streamlined genuine cane 

semi-flexible shafts. Bent U 

shaped reinforcing overlays 

on all models. Small bows for 

symbolised Strength, 

Reliability, Speed. 

Unbreakable throats, overcoming 

structural fractures. 

Comfortable leather grips of 

varied shapes and sizes. Sixty 

days guarantee – twice the 

usual period. Beautiful and 

original decorations and 

designs. Mirror-like finish, 

definitely un-equalled in the 

World. 

The brochure also provides a 

detailed description of racket 

stringing. 

96


Update 

The Stringing of Rackets 

Now that thousands of Brewer rackets 

are being sold in overseas countries 

every year, it is essential to give 

warning of the stringing faults most 

evident and which must be avoided if 

satisfaction is to be retained. These 

illustrations are shown to give some 

idea of what can happen to a racket if 

placed in the hands of an incompetent 

man for repairs. The stringing of 

rackets calls for more common sense 

than anything else, and, definitely, is 

not a profession that is handed down 

from father to son. But utmost care 

must be exercised, for, if the natural 

and original shape of the frame is not 

retained, warping is sure to result. 

Ninety per cent. of warping troubles 

are caused through frames being 

pulled out of shape by in-efficient 

stringers. The most common fault is 

that shown below. This actual frame 

was returned to the factory by a frame 

buyer who claimed it to be faulty, and 

although requested payment for the 

gut he had used, though, through lack 

of knowledge and lack of knowledge 

and perhaps the absence of proper 

tools, he had ruined one of our high 

grade frames by pulling the top of the 

bow nearly ½” from its natural shape. 

If bows must be distorted, less trouble 

is caused by erring in the opposite 

direction. Some skill is required to 

string a racket absolutely correct to 

original size, and we deem 1/8” either 

way the maximum of deviation. All 

rackets strung in the Brewer factory 

have the most careful attention, for it 

is our earnest desire to give users of 

Brewer rackets the best possible 

service and retain the reputation 

already gained for making frames able 

to withstand up to ten restrings. 

Without our exclusive Canadian Ash 

and the practical knowledge to put it 

to best use, this would be impossible. 

The Evolution of the Famous Brewer 

Method of Stringing Flat top Rackets 

Generally, flat top rackets are not as 

popular as they were, but only a short 

time ago almost every player in 

Australia realised the advantages of 

this practical shape, its greater area 

higher in the bow being recognised as 

a decided asset. But due to illdesigned 

frames, soft timber and bad 

stringers, the tennis public saw too 

many frames breaking and lost 

confidence. In 1933 Brewer evolved 

the famous diamond method of 

stringing flat tops, vividly showing 

its superiority over the ordinary 

method, which caused so much 

97


Update 

possessing only one corner or point 

at the top. 

It has been our experience to notice 

that if a player is given the choice of 

oval and flat top, he will, in seven 

cases out of ten, choose one of the six 

Brewer Diamond strung models which 

are optional in the standard range of 

eleven. 

With practical methods, and without 

drones in factory and sales 

organisations, Brewer continues to 

produce the finest rackets that money 

and men can build. 

No racket ever came to the forefront 

like Brewer – a few years ago unknown 

– now used in almost every part of the 

world. By Quality and Service we’ve 

grown.” 

trouble. 

As seen by the photographs, the 

diamond-stringing actually braces the 

frame in the same manner as a gate is 

stayed, gives long centre strings of 

equal length, and thereby allows for 

greater resiliency in play. Also, high 

tension, having been applied, must 

remain, for the frame cannot sag to 

allow strings to slacken. It is perhaps 

hard to believe that the frames as 

shown were exactly the same shape 

before being partially strung 

(comparison of rectangular and 

diagonal stringing on a flat top). 

The very fact that 50% of the rackets 

strung in the Brewer factory are 

diamond strung flat tops speaks for 

itself. Once converted to a Brewer Flat 

top, players have no desire to revert 

to the ordinary flat top or the oval 

shape, both with their non-resilient 

short cross strings. However, the oval 

type of frame is not suitable for 

diamond-stringing owing to its 






Centurion, flat top with diagonal 

stringing. Excellent for utility & style. 

The Brewer unbreakable throat. Made 

entirely by The Brewer Racket Co., 

Newport Vic., Aus., from the finest 

imported ash logs only. 


Style Leader, The Brewer Racket 

Company Newport Victoria. The 

Brewer unbreakable throat. Laminated 

handle of genuine cane. 


Black Hawk, internationally 

renowned. Strength, speed plus grace 

of line. Fibre encased frame. For 

Championship Play. 


Racket in the collection of Tom 

Paton , 2000: 

Vanquisher, flat top with diagonal 

stringing. 


of Bert Armstrong: 

Centurion, c. 1940 

Style Leader, c. 1950 

98


Brewer’s: Centurion, c. 1940 


Dean G., Dulwich E. 

Makers 

Melbourne, S.E. 22 

Australia 

Company: 

More information is required on this 

company. 

S. E. refers to South East Melbourne 

Racket in the collection of Siegfried 

Kuebler: 

Special, Model “A” 

Three laminations, beech, ash, beech. 

Reinforced shoulders. Sycamore heart. 

Leather wrapped handle. 



Chesterfield 

Australia 

Update 

Company: 


company. 



Play Bat – Genuine cane shaft. 

Precision built. Laminated all ash. 

Made in Australia. 


Autograph, Championship Model. 



Rackets in the collection of Adrian 

Keats: 

Truflex, long narrow flat top. 


Bert Armstrong: 

Thunderbird, the choice of Champions 

c. 1940 

Brewer’s: Style Leader, c. 1950 


Dodge & Co., L.W. 

10-12 Hunter St. 

Sidney 

Australia 

From an ad in “Tennis News”, April 

11, 1923: 

Company: 

“Sydney Sports Store”. 

Rackets marketed and promoted: 

1923: 

Dodge, Special Racket. 

“The Championship Racket which has 

proved to be the strongest, best 

finished, and most serviceable racket 

in modern times.” Concave, vellum 

taped and bound shoulders. 

G. Dean: Special Model “A”, 

c. 1950 

Chesterfield: Thunderbird, c. 1940 


Campbells 

Brisbane 

Australia 

Company: 


company. 


Keats: 

Model de Luxe. For stroke control. 

Selected imported ash. Streamlined. 

Fluted round shaft. 





99




Update 

The flagships of the Dunlop product 

line were the Maxply International 

(same style as the English Maxply) 

and later the Maxply Austral, with full 

or partial colour surface finish. The 

Pastime was a lesser grade racket. 

Selected rackets from the collection 

of Adrian Keats: 

Maxply – International. (Classic 

Maxply style). A Dunlop production. 

5 star quality. International model. 

Perforated grip. Estimated: 1940 

Maxply – International. A Dunlop 

production. Dunlop Sports Co. This 

frame features Duraplas overlay 10 

times stronger than wood. 5 star quality. 


Pastime – A Dunlop production. 

Dunlop Sports Co. Duraplas overlay. 

This frame features Duraplas overlay 

10 times stronger than wood. 


Pastime – A Dunlop production. For 

the power game. Duraplas overlays. 


Gussie Moran – Photo decal. Maxply. 

Duraplas overlay. Made in Australia. 

“This frame is specifically made for 

ladies and is used exclusively by 

Gussie Moran in all championship 

play” (spirally around shaft). Dunlop 

Sports Co. Estimated: 1950 

Lewis Hoad – Photo decal. Corner 

cushions for string protection. Semi 

pneumatic grip. (Note Lewis not Lew). 


Maxply – Dunlop. Maxply used by 

more Davis Cup players than any other 

racket. Semi pneumatic grip. Maxply. 

The World’s most popular racket. 


Maxply – (Blue/white colour scheme). 

Dunlop. The world’s most exclusive 

racket. Symmetrically drilled. Taper 

grip. Champ. weight. The only racket 

to win all 5 in one year * Wimbledon 

* U.S.A. * Australia * France * Italy. 


Pastime – (Blue/white colour scheme). 

Dunlop. C2 (very heavy). 


Maxply – Austral (Australia decal). 

Grand slam. Wimbledon favourite. The 

world’s most exclusive racket. Recommended 

by world professional 

Dunlop Australia: Lewis Hoad, 

Photodecal c. 1955 

Dunlop Australia: Lewis Hoad, 

Photodecal c. 1957 

Dunlop Australia: Frank Sedgman 

Personal, Photodecal c. 1954 

Dunlop Australia: Gussie Moran, 

Photodecal, c. 1950 

100


champions Rod Laver, Lew Hoad. Estimated: 

1965 

Maxply – International. (Classic 

Maxply style). Made in Australia. 

Estimated 1965 

Maxply – Austral (Red/white colour 

scheme). Used and recommended by 

world professional champions Rod 

Laver, Tony Roche. Wimbledon * 

U.S.A. * Australian * French * Italian 

championships. Grand Slam winner. 


Maxply – Austral. Dunlop. Makers of 

Maxply. Made in Australia. 


Olympic 88 – Ceramic. Graphite fibres 

reinforced with ceramic. Designed 

in Australia. Made in Korea. 


This section including all illustrations 

was contributed by Adrian Keats, 

Newtown, Victoria, Australia, Oct. 

2001. 



Frank Sedgman Personal Model – 

photodecal/signature. Maxply. 

Duraplas overlays. 

A Dunlop Production. Made for the 

power game. 


Lewis Hoad – photodecal/signature. 

Power packed by Dunlop. 

A decal on the side of the shaft bears 

a list of Lewis Hoad’s singles wins 

(national and International 

championships from 1949 to 1957). The 

doubles wins are listed on the other 

side. 



Empire Racquet Company 

Australia 

Company: 


company. 


Keats: 

Swiftsure, Model de Luxe, “Empire”/ 

Australia map/kangaroo decal. 

Adjustable balance (screw-in handle). 


Update 


Fin Sports Ltd. 

After 1990 Fin Sports Ltd. probably moved 

to Aylesbury, Bucks, in England. 

The address in 1996 in the U.S.A. was: 

Fin Worldwide (U.S.A.), Ltd. 

1540 Gilbreth Road 

Burlingame CA 94010 

(Address from a newsletter 1996). 

Rackets distributed in the U.S.A.: 

1996: 

Shark Reflex 260 



Shark Reflex Jr (for juniors) 

Ultralite SR 280 



Extract from a prospectus of the 

company describing its rackets: 

Introducing the revolutionary Shark 

Reflex System. 

Unlike other racquets we actually split 

the frame at the throat. The two free 

arms are connected with our patented 

Shark Reflex System (Comment: an 

elastic material such as plastic or 

rubber piece). When the ball makes 

contact with the split head, the two 

arms flex in a precisely engineered 

manner. Shock-producing vibration is 

transformed into a well-controlled 

resonance. Because the arms recoil 

very quickly, potential energy is 

transformed back to the ball. The 

moving arms also lengthen and widen 

the sweet spot considerably. 

101



Hedley’s Pty. Ltd. 

Later: 

Hedley Sporting Goods 

Manufacturers 

27 Alfred Street 

Prahran, Victoria 

Australia 

Update 


Australia”, Oct. 1931: 

Company: 

“Hedley’s Tennis Racquets Obtainable 

in All Sports Stores.” 

They mad e rackets at least until 1953. 


From the ad shown: 

: 

1931: 

Hedley’s Finalist, made from imported 

ash, black fibre overlay. Leather 

covered cushion grip. Blue and green 

bindings. 

1950: 

Dinny Pails, photo decal picture 

racket. 


Keats: 

Challenge, All Court Model. Perfect 

Balance. Sold by: Pacific Coast Racket 

Distributing Co. (Los Angeles CA). 



Special Club, Hartcourt Model. 

Reinforced shoulders. A Hedley Product. 

Hedley’s for quality. 




Sentinel – a Hedley product. All court 

model. For strength and perfect 

balance. 


Matchpoint – Model de Luxe. A Hedley 

product. Reinforced shoulders. KC & 

EJ Mahoney Direct Tennis Supply. 


102



Lassetter & Co. Limited 

George Street 

Sydney/Australia 


Mahoney’s Direct Tennis 

Supply 

Australia 


N.S.W. Sports Store 

11 Martin Place, Sydney 

Australia 

Update 

From an ad in “Tennis News” from 

Australia, 

c. 1925: 

Lassetter’s Victory Racket 

made of selected rent ash. Concave, one 

binding. Combed handle. 

Company: 

K.C. & E.J. Mahoney Direct Tennis 

Supply. Hedley made rackets for the 

company among others. 


company. 


Keats: 

Aristocrat, Speed Model. New Model. 

Mahoney Special Championship 

Model. (Diamond shaped shaft). 


Aristocrat, flat top model 


Aristocrat, Speed Model. Mahoney. 

For Championship Play. 


Matchpoint 





From an ad in “Australasian Lawn 

Tennis”, Sept. 30, 1925: 

Company: 

Successors to Claude Wood & Co., 

Martin Place Estab. 

“We supply the trade.” 

Rackets marketed: 

1925: 

Seawood, new model. Strung with 

Tracey’s of Armour’s orange gut. 

Lynwood, for the beginner, similar in 

design and shape to the above. 



Later Oliver Sports Goods Ltd. 

Adelaide, South Australia 

Company: 

The following information on the 

company was provided by 

Tim Hooley, Dec. 14, 2000. 

Excerpt: 

“Oliver Pty. Ltd., located in Adelaide, 

South Australia, produced tennis and 

squash rackets, which were widely 

available throughout Australia during 

the 1960’s and 1970’s. 

The model in your collection (Oliver 

International) was produced in 1967. I 

purchased one in August of that year 

at David Jones Department store in 

Sydney. It cost Australian $18, strung 

with a utility grade natural gut. The 

top line Oliver racket, the ‘Bluebird’, 

sold for $21, a price slightly below 

that of the ‘Big Three’ domestic 

manufacturers of the time, which were 

Slazenger, Dunlop, and Spalding. 

Frank Sedgman and Mal Anderson 

were touring professionals under 

contract to use and promote Oliver 

rackets. 

The leading ‘amateur’ player using 

these rackets before the April 1968 

advent of ‘open tennis’ was Kerry 

Melville (later Kerry Melville-Reid). 

The model that she and the other 

sponsored players used was very 

different to the thin shaft model sold 

in stores, and resembled the 

contemporary Aussie frames made by 

Slazenger, Spalding, and Dunlop. 

Oliver rackets were also distributed in 

Canada by Fred Martin Agencies of 

Winnipeg. 

An attempt was made to introduce the 

brand in Great Britain by David Petrie 

Ltd. in 1972. Petrie was the U.K. 

distributor for Weddell natural gut 

strings at the time, and was looking 

for a line of business which would be 

complementary to this product. A 

leading professional squash player of 

the time, Geoff Hunt, was signed on to 

endorse the Oliver squash racket. 

The brand disappeared in the early 

1980’s, probably a victim of the 

reversal of the,‘tennis boom’.” 

The following information on the company 

was provided by Adrian Keats, 

Newtown, Victoria, Australia 

Oliver was most famous for its “Bluebird” 

range, which was a common 

starting racquet for junior players. 

Frank Sedgman and Mal Anderson 

endorsed many of the Oliver rackets 

in the 1950’s (under Oliver Sports 

Goods). 

103





Tournament – The New Graceline 

Model by Oliver. Made in Australia 

by Olivers Racket Company (note plural 

of Oliver). Oliver De-Luxe. Estimated: 

1939 

Aristoc – For tournament play. Made 

in Australia by Olivers Racket Company 

(note plural of Oliver). 


Tournament – Varsity Model. Oliver 

De-Luxe. Made in Australia by Oliver 

Racket Co. Ltd. 


Blue Bird – Junior Model. Made in 

Australia by Oliver Racket Co. Ltd. 

(Note the name “Blue Bird” as two 

words accompanied by a stylised blue 

bird in the decal) 


Oliver Sports Goods Ltd. 

(Note the name “Bluebird” now as one 

word) 

Professional – Frank Sedgman signature. 

Oliver World Champion. Action 

shaft. Frank Sedgman and Mal Anderson 

use OLIVER exclusively. Featuring 

the ACTION FLEX SHAFT. 


Bluebird – (Blue colour scheme) New 

fibre facings for maximum strength. 

Controlled flex action as inbuilt exclusive 

for increased power placement 

and timing. 


Bluebird Junior – Frank Sedgman 

signature. Hand crafted from finest 

materials by OLIVER Sports Goods 

LTD., AUSTRALIA. 


Tournament – Hand crafted from selected 

Canadian Ash – fibre reinforced. 

Frank Sedgman and Mal 

Anderson use OLIVER exclusively. 

Featuring CONTROLLED-FLEX AC- 

TION. 


Bluebird – (Brown colour scheme) Selected 

Canadian Ash – Fibre reinforced. 


Bluebird Junior – (Black, red and 

white colour scheme) Hand crafted 

from the finest materials. Made in Australia 

by OLIVER. 


The following information on the 

company was provided by Jürgen 

Bundschuh, Germany. 

Jack Oliver made his first rackets in 

1938. The company went bankrupt in 

the early 80’s. We bought all the 

remaining rights in 1984. The name 

Oliver is now a registered trademark in 

many countries around the world and 

is prominent in marketing badminton 

and squash rackets in Europe (March 

2003). 



Bluebird, plastic bonded, fire 

hardened shoulders. Genuine cane. 

Oliver: Bluebird c. 1960 

Update 

Frame made of finest imported ash. 

Blue bird decal crossed by “Olivers”. 


Bluebird, ‘Airflute’ handle. Airflute 

non-slip grip (fluted handle, 

perforated grip with four small air holes 

at butt end). World Championship 

Winner (presumably Sedgman was 

referred to as 1952 Wimbledon 

Champion). 


Bluebird, Strokemaster Model, 

precision poised, ‘Airflute’ handle. 


104



Slazengers Australia 

The Slazenger Challenge was one of 

the most popular rackets in Australia 

during the 1960’s and 1970’s and was 

used by Ken Rosewall, John 

Newcombe and Margaret Court 

(Smith). The Royal Crown racket was 

a lesser grade racket during that time. 

Slazenger Australia: Brochure 1934 

Use of the term Slazenger or Slazengers 

varies from racket to racket and era to 

era. The Challenge racket was made 

until the end of the wood era (around 

1982). 


Slazengers Quality Rackets (Brochure) 

for 

1934: 

“High grade Slazenger Rackets were 

used by the winner of the Victorian 

and Australian Singles Championships. 

The new range of quality rackets, 

which Slazengers presents for the 

1934 season, will delight the most discriminating 

buyers of sporting equipment! 

Each year the sporting public 

looks forward to something still better, 

and each year Slazengers are 

happy to provide it. Our range for this 

season has been selected with the 

Update 

greatest care, and comprises a wide 

variety of distinctive designs and 

styles, built from the very finest quality 

materials, and under the strictest 

supervision of trained operatives.” 

Cavalier Master Model (Patented) 

“Cradled in Cane” – strong as steel, 

standing up to the highest stringing 

tension. Scientifically balanced to put 

the weight behind the ball. Result – a 

swift, crisp stroke that leaves your 

opponent standing. Try it! It’s a 

“Master”! (75/-) 

Cavalier Tournament Model (Patented) 

“Cradled in Cane”. In construction 

and performance similar to the 

“Master”, but smartly decorated in 

Black and White for those who do not 

care for brighter colours. Ideal for 

hard hitters! (75/-) 

Slazenger Autograph 

Another fine Slazenger model, of fourpiece 

construction, comprising finest 

imported Ash, and English Beech, with 

Walnut veneer insertion. It features a 

full Ash overlay in the new Slazenger 

“V” or bevelled design. This overlay 

gives immense strength and rigidity 

to the shoulders, without “heaviness”. 

The Basswood handle, streamlined 

throughout, is also reinforced by the 

new “V” section, ensuring great 

strength. A model of grace and power! 

(70/-) 

Doherty 

Laminated two-piece Ash, with inlay 

of Walnut veneer, and full shoulder 

overlay. Finished in the ever-popular 

Black and White. Always a favourite! 

(60/-) 

Puritan 

This laminated Ash frame carries a 

most effective bevelled shoulder 

overlay of English Beech – a very 

decorative timber! Finished with blue 

lines and bindings, this model is 

designed to please the buyer who likes 

a “plain” but modern Racket. (55/-) 

Demon 

A well-known model in selected Ash 

with full overlay. Finished in Black 

and Red. (50/-) 

Renshaw 

Excellent value at moderate cost. 

Strongly built, with a full shoulder 

overlay. Attractively finished in Blue 

and White. (45/-) 

105


Eclipse 

In two-piece Ash with shockproof 

wedge and sycamore shoulder 

protection. For the keen buyer. (37/6) 

Player 

A sturdily built model of imported Ash, 

in effective Red and Black design, at 

very moderate cost. (30/-) 

La Belle 

A keen bargain for beginners. (21/-) 

“All frames, except La Belle, have 

super black Grips. All Frames are of 

Laminated Construction, made from 

finest quality imported Ash. A type 

for every player. A price for every 

purse.” 



Golden Hawke – Slazengers (Austr.) 

Ltd. Imported ash, laminated 

construction. X 1060. 


Challenge – 3 point. Genuine cane 

reinforcement. Weatherproof sealed 

finish. For championship play. 5 Star 

Certified ARMA. Choice of 

Champions (Slazengers). 


Challenge – Power game. Choice of 

world champions. Developed for the 

Power Game and used by leading Davis 

Cup stars. 


Update 

Royal Crown – Choice of World 

Champions. 


Challenge – Constellation Model. 

Microbalanced swing weight. The 

racket of the stars. 


Royal Crown – Splitproof 

construction. Slazenger quality 

products. Estimated: 1960 

Matchpoint – Champion of the World. 

Exclusive new “cradled construction”. 


Challenge – Exclusive, “cradled 

construction”. Magic Feel. Ken 

Rosewall photo decal on side of shaft. 


Challenge – Power zoned timber. 

Exclusively chosen by the winners of 

the world’s Major Four Titles & world 

professional stars Ken Rosewall and 

John Newcombe. 


Challenge – Finest quality imported 

timber. Craftsman built in Australia 

by Slazengers using exclusive 

processes & the finest imported 

timbers for high speed, flexibility, 

strength & durability. Exclusively 

chosen by … Ken Rosewall, John 

Newcombe and Margaret Court. 


John Newcombe – Photo decal junior 

racket. 


Panther – Aluminium with red plastic 

throat. 


Ken Rosewall – Wood. Designed in 

Australia, Made in Taiwan. 


This section including all illustrations 

was contributed by Adrian Keats, 

Newtown, Victoria, Australia, Oct. 

2001 

Slazenger Australia: Slazenger Tennis Ball 

now made in Australia, 1934 



Challenge – 3 point Challenge. 

Genuine reinforced cane. 5 star 

certified ARMA. 


Challenge – Coronation Model 

Fibreloc wedge. Perfect balance. The 

exclusive choice of the Australian 

champion. Plastic bonded with 

waterproof adhesive pre bent to 

prevent stress. 


106


Update 


Spalding Australia 



Greenwood – Concave wedge with 

bevelled edge around the head. A.G. 

Spalding & Bros. Australasia Pty Ltd 

(in Spalding logo). Grooved wooden 

handle. 

Estimated: 1900 (Fair) 

Vantage – Speed Model. Laminated 

English Ash. Blackwood overlay. A.G. 

Spalding & Bros. embossed on grip. 


Top-Flite – Davis Cup Model. Resin 

bonded. Fibre welded. Genuine cane 

handle. 5 Star certified A.R.M.A. 

Frame made in Australia by Spalding. 

As used by the Australian Champion. 

(grooved leather grip with butt cap). 

Estimated : 1940 (Good) 

Top-Flite – Davis Cup Model. Ladies’ 

Model. Fibre welded for resilient 

power. 5 Star certified A.R.M.A. Frame 

made in Australia by Spalding. As 

used by the Australian Champion. 

(With unknown female photo decal). 


Sp 

Gold medal – Frame made in Australia 

by Spalding. A quality product by the 

makers of “Top-Flite”. Estimated: 1947 

(Good plus) 

Syncro-Stroke – Richard Gonzales 

signature. Specially designed for 

speed strength & balance. Frame 

made in Australia by Spalding. 

Estimated: 1955 (Fine minus) 

“Pancho” Gonzales – Photo decal. 

World Champion Richard Gonzales. 

Syncro-Stroke. Autographed by the 

World Champion. Used by the 

Australian Champion. 

Estimated: 1957 (Fine) 

Cressy Perfect – Syncro Stroke Bow. 

Made in Australia. Used throughout 

the world. 

Estimated: 1960 (Good) 

Viscount – Made in Australia. Used 

throughout the world. 

Estimated: 1965 (Good plus) 

Fred Stolle – Top-Flite professional. 

Made by the world’s largest sporting 

goods manufacturer. 


Gonzales – Photo decal. Grand Prix. 

Export award winner. The world famous 

Gonzales frame is manufactured in 

Australia by Spalding. Only the finest 

available materials are used. 

Estimated: 1973 (Good). 

Top-Flite – (Black and red colour 

scheme) all white ash frame with fibre 

reinforced shoulders shaft & bow. 

Medium flex shaft. Australian Made. 

Estimated: 1975 (Excellent) 

Gonzales – (Red colour scheme) Grand 

Prix. Medium Flex. Crafted in 

Australia. All white ash frame with 

fibre strengthened bow and shoulders. 

medium flex shaft for control and 

power. 

Estimated: 1978 (Fine plus) 

Davis Cup – (Black/red colour scheme) 

all white ash frame with full double 

fibre strengthened shoulders and 

throat. Fibre reinforced bow. Hi flex 

shaft. Australian Made. 

Estimated: 1980 (New, unstrung) 



Australia, Oct. 2001. 



Tru Flite – Championship. De Luxe 

Model (with grooved shaft). 

Streamlined for speed. Made in 

Australia. 5 star quality certified 

ARMA. Laminated English ash. A.G. 

Spalding & Bros (A’Asia) Pty Ltd. 


Speed Flite – Championship. 

Tournament. Frame guaranteed 30 

days. 


Spalding Australia: 

Cressy Perfect, c. 1960 


Spider Web Sports Products 

Melbourne 

Racket in a the collection of Adrian 

Keats: 

Talisman 


107



Stellar International Sporting 

Goods Pty. Ltd. 

Australia 

Company: 


company. 

Stellar sponsored Pat Cash in his early 

years. Presumably it was founded in 

the 1970’s. 


Keats: 

Black Diamond, black frame with 

silvered recess for strings extending 

down sides of shaft. 


Center Court, – The Stellar Center 

Court has a sublime construction of 

nine laminations. 3 fibre 3 maple 3 ash. 

Stellar rackets are designed by and 

manufactured under the strict control 

and authority of Stellar International 

Sporting Goods Pty Ltd Australia. 

(The racket was a cry in the wilderness 

for the dying timber racket – “Despite 

the tendency of some players to switch 

to non-timber rackets, most of the 

world’s top players continue to prefer 

to play with timber rackets. With this 

in mind, Stellar has developed the 

Update 

Center Court racket which they claim 

to be the most outstanding timber 

racket with a performance to suit the 

world’s most discriminating ‘Center 

Court’ players.”) 


Classic – Gold aluminium with black 

plastic throat. 




Australia, Oct. 2001. 

108

Book of Tennis Rackets English Rackets 

Update 

English Rackets 

Anderson, Anderson & Anderson 

Alltree Bros. 

Ardee 

Ashby 

Atlas Mfg. Co. 

Austin 

Austin, Frank 

Ayres F. H. 

Baxendale & Co. 

Benetfink & Co. 

Birmingham Aluminium Casting 

Browne & Heppell 

Bryan, Frank 

Buchanan Ltd. 

Bussey Geo G. & Co. Ltd. 

Clapshaw & Cleave Ltd. 

Cleave, G.H., & Sons 

Collard 

Cook’s Athletic Co. (1907) Ltd. 

Crawfords 

Cow & Co., P.B. 

Craske & Smith 

Cubbett, James, Ltd. 

Davenport 

Davis Ltd., F.A. 

Denyer Ltd., L. G. 

Douglas 

Dunlop 

Eland 

Elvery & Co., J.W. 

Evertawt, Willmar 

Feltham & Co. 

Forrester & Sons 

Fortnam, Forrester & Co. 

Fox & Co. Ltd., T. 

Frema 

Gamage, Ltd., A.W. 

Gardiner Bros. 

Gardner (Waltham Abbey) 

Gibbs & Co. 

Gradidge and Sons 

Grays of Cambridge 

Grenville’s Limited 

Grose, Geo., & Co. 

Halley, Jas. B. 

Halsey, Geo. 

Hardy Bros. Ltd. 

Harris, T., & Son 

Haycraft,W. 

Hayley, H. 

Hazells Limited 

Hobbies 

Horn, J. D. 

Hubble & Ames 

Hutton H. 

J. ????e & Son 

Jaques 

Jefferies & Co. 

S. R. Jeffery & Son Ltd. 

Kerr, John, Bros. 

King & Co., A. 

Lawsons 

Lenglen’s Ltd. 

Lillywhites 

Lillywhites Jos., Frowd & Co. 

Logesom 


Lugard & Pulham 

Lunn & Co. 

MacKee & Co., William 

Malings, Henry 

MCC (The) Bat Works Ltd. 

Mead & Toomer 

Merigold Bros. 

Montgomery & Co. Limited, Adams 

Moore, John 

Muller 

Murray & Baldwin 

Murton, Henry A. 

M & W 

Nash, Robert J. 

Nusser E., & Co. 

Ormond 

Page & Co., J. Edward 

Parkin & Gotto 

Perry & Co. 

Piggott, Ltd., John 

Prosser T.H., & Sons 

Quin & Axtens 

Radcliffe 

Redmayne & Todd 

Rushworths Ltd. 

Sams’ Bros & Barnes Ltd. 

Sheffield Ltd., J. & S 

Sidney, France 

Simpsons 

Smith Matthews 

Smith, Odgen 

Slazenger Ltd. 


Sparke G. 

Sterling Rackets 

Stevens, Thomas 

Stockwin & Co. 

Stuart Surridge & Co. Ltd 

Sugg Ltd., Frank 

Sugg, H.H. 

Sykes Ltd., William 

Talmo 

Thornton & Co. Ltd. 

Tyldesley & Holbrook 

Tyne & Wear 

Wallis and Co. Ltd., Thomas 

Wanless & Co. 

Watson, Alec 

Webbers, J. & Sons 

Whitehall 

Wisbey, J., & Co. 

Wisden, John, & Co. Ltd. 

Witty, Henry 

Witty, Richard 

Wrinch & Sons 

Wortons 

109



Alltree Bros. 

Shrewsbury 

England 

Company: 

In 1923 the company published a 

pamphlet on croquet equipment. 


Atlas Mfg. Co. 


From an auction catalogue, Morelle & 

Marchandet, Nov. 1996: 

c. 1910: 

Sultan, fantail handle 

Update 


A racket from this company was 

offered at an auction performed by 

Mullock Madeley in 2004 (Dr. H. 

Kerling). 

The A. B., concave wedge, elongated 

head, octagonal handle. 


A.B. stands presumably for Alltree 

Bros. 


Anderson, Anderson & 

Anderson 

c. 1925: 

From an auction catalogue, Mullock 

Madeley, Nov. 1998: 

The Star, fishtail handle, concave 

wedge 

The Corinthian, cellophane wrapped 

handle 

The Spartan, ditto 

The Viceroy, ditto 

From an ad in “Australian Lawn Tennis” 

July 31, 1926: 

1926: 

The Britwin, three-piece frame with 

mahogany insert and vellum binding 

on shoulders, deep grooves in 

wooden handle. 


Australia”, Oct. 1. 1930. 

1930: 

The Swan, Model C, frame two-piece 

interlocked, faced with grey and blue 

vulcanised fibre, fitted with cedar handle. 

The Swan, Model R, frame two piece 

interlocked, faced with black 

vulcanised fibre, fitted with cane handle. 

Cross section of the frame illustrating 

the “Interlocking System”. 

Atlas: Imp, c. 1926 





Kerling). 

Surrey, concave wedge, regular 

handle convex wedge, fantail. 

c. 1929 

Ad in the booklet: Lawn Tennis by 

James Dwight, c. 1885 


(contributed by Dr Heiner Kerling) 

Imp, solid ash, concave, canvas and 

bindings around shoulders, fishtail 

handle. 

c. 1926 

Imp, laminated, concave, canvas or 

hide around shoulders, fishtail handle. 

c. 1934 

110



Ardee 

England 

Company: 

R.D. & Co = Ar dee 



offered at eBay Sept. 2008. 

Rownforth, convex wedge, fantail 

c 1910 

From TTC Summer 2007: 

Suzanne, concave, solid wood, 

bulbous handle. Produced by Ardee, 

Guaranteed Sports Goods. R. D. & Co. 

c. 1920 


Austin, Frank 

England 

Company: 

No Information available. 





Kerling). 

Empire de Luxe, concave wedge, 

elongated head, regular grooved 

handle, leather collar and butt cap. 

Estimated mid 1920’s 


Austin 

Proprietor F.A. Davis 

55, High St. 

London, W.C. 2 

Update 

Company: 

F.A. Davis was founded anew under 

the name Argus Sports Co. Ltd., in the 

early 1930’s. 

Where does ‘Austin’ fit in? 


Kerling: 


Ashby 

England 

Company: 


From an eBay auction 2006: 

Austin: Austin, c. 1930 

Ashby: Premier, c. 1914 

111


Additional information to page 68/77 

(tables): 

Ayres F. H. 

An ad for Ayres’ tennis rackets 

appeared in the “Australian Lawn 

Tennis” magazine in February 27, 1926, 

which stated: 50 Years of Racket- 

Making – 1875 to today. Please change 

the suggested foundation year of the 

company from 1878 to 1875. 

From this ad: 


1886: 

Triplex, already mentioned in the 

Ayres’ catalogue of 1886 

Volley 

Julian Marshall 

Zingari 

Union 

Central Strung 

Champion 

The remark in the table of “triple 

handled” refers to the handle. It can 

be fitted with “Cedar, Cork, or Fancy 

handle”. 

Hercules 

Chillion 

No. 00, already 1886, convex 

No. 0, ditto, convex 

No. 0, cedar handle, round face, convex 

No. 1, cedar handle, oval face, convex 

No. 2 to No. 6, all already 1886 

F. H. Ayres Superior, made to weight, 

already 1886 

Lawn tennis sets: 

The Registered Garden Seat, lawn 

tennis set. This lawn tennis set 

contains bats, balls, poles, net and all 

the requisites for the game, is fitted 

inside with rackets, &c., and forms an 

excellent seat for the lawn. 

Box in polished pine, grained oak, 

polished birch or polished mahogany. 

The Championship, lawn tennis set. 

This set contains four “Champion” 

rackets (in the Registered Garden Seat 

Box), twelve Championship Balls, 

twelve regulation plain India-rubber 

balls, two poles and net, guy ropes, 

pegs, hammer and drill, polished 

racket press, the new club scoring 

board, and the registered rotary court 

marker, in oak grained box, complete 

with rules. 

Note: The Championship set was also 

offered for two players. 

The Oxford and Cambridge, lawn 

tennis set. Contains four rackets, six 

covered and six plain balls, two painted 

poles, tanned net, lines and runners, 

hammer and drill, racket press, with 

rules, complete in polished and 

painted box. 

The Army and Navy, lawn tennis set. 

Contains four rackets, six covered and 

six plain balls, two painted poles, 

tanned net, lines and runners, hammer 

and drill, racket press, with rules, complete 

in polished and painted box. 

The Royal Artillery, lawn tennis set. 

Contains four rackets, six cloth covered 

and six plain India-rubber balls, 

two painted poles with spikes, tanned 

net, iron guy rods, hammer and drill, 

racket press, with rules, in polished 

and painted dovetailed box. 

From a catalogue from 

Josef Mühlhauser’s, Vienna, 

1902: 

Central Strung, oval frame 

Allen, ditto 

Special, ditto 

Youth racket, with no special name 

Children’s Racket, with no special 

name 

Sandown 

Handicap 

Champion 

From a description in “Lawn-Tennis 

Geräte, Sportjahrbuch für Österreich- 

Ungarn, 1903”: 

c.1902: 

Elongater, solid ash, convex. 

Maltrese, solid ash, convex. 

From an ad in “Hessen, Technik und 

Taktik des Lawn-Tennis Spieles, 1904” 

(Dr. H. Kerling). 

1904: 

F. H. Ayres Special P.P. 

From an ad in “Der Lawn-Tennis 

Sport”, Nr. 2, Jahrg. II, Berlin, 2. Feb. 

1905, page 18 (Dr. H. Kerling). 

1905: 

M.J.G. Ritchie 

Cavendish 

From a price list Küster Perry 

1910: 

S.N.D. (named after S.N. Doust, 

Australian tennis player, runner-up 

Wimbledon doubles 1909) 

c. 1920: 

Monitor 

Update 


Matador, wavy wedge 

c. 1928 


Madeley, Nov. 1998: 

1930’s: 

The Page Model B 




SNV, solid ash, scored handle, 

reinforced shoulders, concave. 

c. 1930 

112


Update 

Lithography 

on the inside lid of a box “Army and Navy” 

Ad in 

Lawn-Tennis Geraete, Sportjahrbuch 

für Oesterreich-Ungarn, 1903 

The Zingari, the name of a famous 

English cricket club. Please note the 

“Z” in the stringing pattern 

113



Baxendales & Co. 

Manchester 

Miller Street? 

Company: 

Probably a department store in 

Manchester which sold rackets with 

its own name. 

Rackets sold: 


Madeley, May 1998. 

The Success, fishtail racket with convex 

wedge. 

c. 1920 


Birmingham Aluminium Casting 

(1903) Ltd. 

Company: 

In the ad (c. 1926) shown on the right 

the company was referred to as: 

Birmal Rackets 

Dartmouth Road 

Smethwick 

Birmingham/England 

Update 


Benetfink & Co. 

Rackets manufactured or 

distributed: 

1884: Wimbledon Hexagon 

(registered), with a unusual hexagonal 

stringing pattern. Introduced 1884. 

1890: 

Triumph, convex 

1910: 

Special Club, oval face, convex 

Ad in “Lawn Tennis”, a book 

by Mrs. L.A. Godfree, 

Ward, Lock & Co., Limited, 

London and Melbourne, c. 1926 





Triumph, solid ash, convex, scored 

handle. 

c. 1920 

114



Browne & Heppell 

England 


Prince of Wales 

c. 1910 

(Dr. H. Kerling) 


Buchanan Ltd., 

215, Piccadilly 

London W. 


from an ‘Illustrated Price List’ of the 

company 

c. 1895: 

Horace Bayley bat, with tight stringing 

Buchanan, the 

Burlington, the 

Duplex, the 

Imperial, the 

Update 


Bryan, Frank 

Address given in the ad of 1902: 

3, Bayer Street, Golden Lane, London, 

E.C. 

Company: 

Frank Bryan, an athletic goods 

manufacturer based in London, 

applied for a patent of a bat for table 

tennis with India rubber covering on 

December 11, 1901. 

“I have discovered that a bat which 

has its face covered with a thin sheet 

of India rubber, causes a great 

improvement in the play, and enables 

the player to get a greater amount of 

‘screw’ motion on the ball during its 

flight. According to this invention, I 

make bats, preferably of wood, with 

the faces covered with rubber.” 

An early ad from a 1902 book shows 

the Frank Bryan rubber faced Atropos 

(literally ‘no turn’) Table Tennis Bat. 


Delta, fishtail handle 

c. 1891 


Browne & Heppell: Prince of Wales 

c. 1910. Photograph Dr. H. Kerling 




F.B. fishtail, concave wedge. 

c. 1925 

Comment: F.B. for Frank Bryan 

Bryan: Table Tennis Bat, 1902 

115


Additional information to pages 102/ 

106: 

Bussey Geo G. & Co. Ltd. 

Please add to page 102, Company: 

Excerpt from the book 

Racket Sports Collectibles, by Robert 

T. Everitt, Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 

2002, page 145 (in parenthesis): 

“George Gibson Bussey was born in 

1829. When he was 25 he worked as a 

saddler in Holborn, London. In 1867 

he built a ‘Museum of Fire Arms’. This 

is why Bussey’s business address 

included the words ‘the Museum 

Works’. In 1877 he registered his trade 

mark GGB with an arrow passing 

through them. It was used over fifty 

years.” 

It is assumed that Bussey started to 

manufacture lawn tennis rackets 

(along with other sporting goods of 

all kinds) in 1880 following his granted 

patent No. 34 of the same year 

(described in the ‘book’ on page 103). 

Please add the rackets below to the 

table on page 106: 

1880: 

Royal Tennis Set, the 

a complete set with rackets, net, posts 

etc. in a wooden box. 

c. 1897: 

Tournament, the 

Expert, the 

c. 1898: 

Special Club, solid frame, convex 

wedge, cedar shingles, octagonal 

handle. 

c. 1900: 

Alert, ditto 

1902: 

Elite, ditto 

c. 1920: 

Winner, solid frame, wavy wedge 

(convex/concave), octagonal handle. 

c. 1925: 

Tournament 3, wavy wedge, oval, 

fishtail handle of the ‘ball-tail’ type). 

c. 1927: 

Olympic 1, The, concave, inlaid cork 

handle (‘Tensive grip’), laminated 

around wedge (probably hide). 

c. 1928: 

Rival, the, convex, combed handle, 

cord bindings around shoulders, 

between wedge and frame a thin dark 

wooden layer. 

Geo G. Bussey Net Wholesale List 

1901: 

Nightingale’s Patent Racket 

Sandringham, barrel shaped handle, 

extra close strung. 

Smasher, please add ‘at least made 

until 1902’. 

Ventilated Holdfast (Lunn’s Patent), 

please add ‘at least made until 1902’. 

c.1925: 

Double Main 5, oval, wavy wedge. 

From a catalogue issued from Lloyd 

and Lloyd, Ironmongers, Newtown, 

Wales: 

1927: 

Demon Driver 1, with wave shaped 

profile wedge similar to the ‘Winner’, 

inlaid cork handle (‘Tensive grip’), 

individually numbered on side. 




Christie’s in 2000 (Dr. H. Kerling). 

Varsity, wavy walnut concave wedge, 

scored, octagonal handle. 

c. 1912 

The following rackets were offered for 



Double Main B, convex, solid ash, 

deeply grooved handle. 


Premier, convex, solid ash, deeply 

grooved handle. 


Auction 2004 (Kerling). 

Champion Light, concave, grooved 

handle. 

c.1923 

Auction Dec. 2000: 

Crown Winner, neck band, smooth 

handle 

c. 1927 


Diamond, with bulbous fishtail handle 

c. 1900 

The Luss, with cork inlaid handle 


Bussey: Winner, c. 1920 

courtesy Dr. H. Kerling 


Craske & Smith 

‘The Sports Specialist’ 

189-191 Cleethorpe Rd. 

Grimsby 

England 

Update 


Super Crasmith, oval, concave, 

laminated, with shoulder wrappings. 

Combed wooden handle. 

c. 1935 


G. H. Cleave & Sons 


From an auction catalogue 

County, convex wedge 

early 1920’s 


Clark, E 

England or USA 


A tear drop shaped racket was offered 

at eBay in 2006 stamped with the name 

E. Clark with an eagle below. Estimated 

1890. 

116



Clapshaw & Cleave Ltd. 

(Late Hawcridge?) 

Edmund St. 


Company: 

A well known sports manufacturer in 

England. The company, first called 

‘Clapshaw’ and then ‘Clapshaw & 

Cleave’, was formed in Birmingham in 

1876. Their main products were cricket 

bats and tennis rackets which they 

made for almost a century. 

Reference: The Tennis Collector, No. 

46, 2002, page 8, “Bustin’ Your Gut”, 

by Sue Elks 

Ace, solid frame, mahogany heart, 

cedar shingles, combed fishtail 

handle. 

c. 1929 




Eclipse, fishtail handle with deep 

central groove, convex wedge. Solid 

ash. 

c. 1910 

Update 


c. 1929: 

O.F.A., oak, fibre and ash frame with 

vellum pigskin shoulder reinforcement. 

Selected rackets from collections: 

Clapshaw & Cleave, flat-topped, 

convex. 

c. 1895 




Kerling). 

Windsor, fantail, spliced convex 

wedge. 

c. 1905 

Clapsaw & Cleave: Ace, c. 1929 


Collard 

Grantham/England 


Collard, oval, convex, fishtail handle. 



Cosmos MFG., Co. 

London 

England 

eBay 2008: 

Cosmos, c. 1920 

sold by: 

Mühlhauser Nachfolger, Wien, 

Kärtnerstrar. 28 

Cosmos: Cosmos, c. 1920 

117



Cook’s Athletic Co. (1907) Ltd. 

The Corinthian Sports Depot 

Beech Street House 

London/England 

Update 

Company: 

Dealer of all high class sporting goods. 


From a German ad in “Fichard, Lawn- 

Tennis Jahrbuch, 1909”: 

1909: 

Corinthian, solid ash, convex, cord 



P. B. Cow & Co. 

Manufacturers 

London 

England 

Racket in the collection of Dr. Heiner 

Kerling: 

Club, the, solid ash frame, mahogany 

heart, cedar shingles, fishtail handle. 

c. 1898 


Red Cross, slightly convex wedge, 

c. 1920 


Crawfords 

England 

Company: 

Manufacturer of tennis rackets and 

probably also sporting goods dealer. 





Exceller, spliced wedge, reinforced 

shoulders, barrel grip with rounded 

butt. Manufactured by Crawfords for 

John Wisden. 

c. 1921 

Additional information to page110: 

Cubbett, James, Ltd. 

151 Park Rd. 

London N.W.B. 

England 

(please amend the spelling of the 

company) 




Royal Blue, laminated frame, concave, 

two bindings at reinforced shoulders. 

Inscription on racket: Mfg. by James 

Cubbett Ltd., 151 Park Rd., London 

N.W.B. 

c. 1930 

Cow: The Club, c. 1898 

118



Davis Ltd., F.A. 


Kerling: 

Rex, solid ash frame, mahogany heart, 

cedar shingles, fishtail handle. 

c. 1898 


From a price list Küster Perry 1910: 

Risely Hexagon 

(1902 and 1906 Frank. Riseley 

Wimbledon doubles champion) 

Update 


Denyer Ltd., L. G. 

location of the small factory: 

Walthamstow 

East London 

England 

Company: 

In the 1940’s and 50’s the company 

made wooden rackets and also strung 

them. 

The company went out of business in 

the 70’s when wood went out of 

fashion. 

From an ad in “Tennis & Sport”, 1925, 

Heft 23. 

1925: 

Riseley 

Hexagon 

Argus 

Corinthian 

Knight 

Pioneer 


Kerling: 

Rex, solid ash frame, mahogany heart, 

cedar shingles, fishtail handle. 

c. 1898 


From a price list Küster Perry 1910: 

Risely Hexagon 

(1902 and 1906 Frank. Riseley 

Wimbledon doubles champion) 

Davis F.A.: Rex 

From an ad in “Tennis & Sport”, 1925, 

Heft 23. 

1925: 

Riseley 

Hexagon 

Argus 

Corinthian 

Knight 

Pioneer 


Club, c. 1900 

Victoria, with fantail handle and 

concave wedge 

c. 1905 


Davenport, J. 

20 Eldon Street, 

London, E.C. 

From an Ad in Lawn Tennis by H. W. 

W. Wilberforce 1895: 

1895: 

The Youth’s 

Junior 

City 

Match 

Finsbury 

Eldon 

Champion 

Special 


Daft, R. 

1 Lister Gate 

Nottingham 

England 

Company: 

Probably one of the oldest 

English manufacturers of 

tennis rackets. 

Lopsided Lawn Tennis Racket by R. Daft, c. 1870. 

The cross stringing is over-strung and inter-looped with a second string. The first lawn 

tennis rackets derived their shape from the Real Tennis racket which is lopsided. The 

tear drop shape was developed to maximize the strung area on a racket head that had 

to be small to minimize warping. 

Courtesy: Manfred Schotten, 

„The Captain‘s Kit Bag, 

Antiques Exhibition“. 

Estimated: Euro 5000 in 2008 

119



Douglas 

London 

Update 

Company: 

Dr. Kerling presumes that rackets with 

the Douglas name (or imprint) were 

only distributed in Germany between 

1880 and 1900. He could not find 

(neither did I) any traces (also no ads) 

of such rackets in England where they 

were made. Maybe another collector 

can help? 

Could it be that a known English 

company made them only for the 

German market? 

In the collection of Dr. Kerling: 

Douglas London, 100 

The Club, 105 (two with different 

appearance) 

Offered at eBay 2007: 

Douglas Derby, c. 1905 

First of this model in the collection: 

Douglas The Club 105, c. 1895, courtesy Dr. Kerling 

The Club 105 is engraved at the top-rim. Flat-top racket. 

Bulbous almost spherical at the end of the handle. On its 

side engraved: “631”(production number?). At butt end 

“4”. Weight: 13 ½ oz. 

Douglas London 100, c. 1890, courtesy Dr. Kerling 

Rounded handle. The number 100 is engraved at the 

top-rim. Weight 12 oz. 

Second of this model in the collection: 

Douglas The Club 105, c. 1890, courtesy Dr. Kerling 

The Club 105 is engraved at the top-rim. Narrow-headed 

racket. On its side engraved: “571” (production number?). 

Weight: 14 oz. 

120



Dunlop 

Great Britain 

Most of this information (in German) 

and all photos were provided by Dr. 

Kerling. 

Rackets in the collection of Dr. Kerling 

to be added to the tables pages 145 to 148. 

Dragon racket series 

c. 1935: 

Gold Dragon Fly 

The Blue Dragon Fly 

The Red Dragon Fly 

Flash racket series 

c. 1934: 

Blue Flash 

Green Flash 

Flash 

Red Flash 

Matchpoint 

Ambassador 

Blue Royal 

Blue Star 

Britannia 

Diplomat 

D’line 101 (D 101) 

D’line 202 International 

Francoise Durr 

Impera 

Kings Cup 

Maxfiber 

One shaft 

Reaction 

Starter 

Superb 

Three Crown 

TS 

Update 

Rackets described in auctions: 


Alpha 

c. 1935 


Alpha. c. 1958 


Red Eagle 

c. 1935 

Matchpoint Continental Model c. 1975 

Matchpoint c. 1975 

Matchpoint Continental Model Dunlop tennis balls 1936 

121


Update 

Dunlop Maxply racket 

The most famous racket ever made and more often copied than any other one was the Dunlop Maxply. It was the „Non- 

Plus-Ultra“ for serious players as well as champions for many decades. It was made over a period of 50 years from 1933 

to 1983 and it is calculated that more than 10 million have been sold worldwide. Rod Laver has won the Grand Slam 

1962 with this racket and McEnroe won Wimbledon and the US-Open in 1981almost 20 years later. Many model 

variations were made: Maxply, Maxply Fort, Maxply Super Fort, Superlight, Maxply Fort Bihander, Maxply Tournament 

etc. Also autograph rackets were offered: e.g. John McEnroe, Lew Hoad, Heinz Günthardt, Hans-Jürgen Pohmann. 

Maxply Dunlop Fort c. 1935 

Maxply Dunlop c. 1960 

Maxply Dunlop 

Tournament Model 

Maxply Dunlop Fort 

Hanne Nüsslein, 3 time world 

champion, used this particular 

Maxply shown. 

Maxply Tournament c. 1977 

122


Update 

Maxply Fort c. 1960 

Maxply Super Fort c. 1977 

Maxply McEnroe c1983 

Maxply McEnroe Mid 

c. 1983 

Maxply Superlight c. 1980 

Maxply Tournament c. 1970 

123


Update 

Dunlop: Gold Dragon Fly, c. 1936 

Dragon Fly rackets 

Dr. H. Kerling considers the Dragon 

Fly rackets as his favourites in his 

collection along with the Gardner 

Blue Dragon Fly racket. 

Remark by the author: The beauty of 

the “Dragon Fly”- Rackets, especially 

the picture of the fly itself, make these 

rackets unique and exceptional. They 

are hard to find. It may well be 

assumed that they will be much 

sought for by collectors in the future 

and they might have the potential to 

become “cult rackets” much like the 

Hazell’s “Streamline”-Rackets. 

Dunlop: Red Dragon Fly, c. 1936 

Dunlop:Blue Dragon Fly, c. 1936 

124



Eland 

England 

This company made at one time tennis 

rackets. 

At an auction at eBay between 2000 and 

2005 small corked bottles in a box were 

offered containing “Gut Reviver” and 

“Preservative” (some kind of impregnating 

oil). 

The sides of the box have the 

following inscriptions: “The real joy 

of tennis comes with an Eland racket” 

and “Gold Eland tennis balls with the 

everlasting bounce.” The logo of the 

company appears to be an Antelope’s 

head. 

Please refer also to Lugard & Pulman 

who sold the Eland Moth racket. 

Update 


Elvery & Co., J.W. 





Rival, convex wedge 

c. 1914 




Rival, the, solid ash, scored handle , 

convex wedge. 

c. 1914 

Elvery: The Rival, c. 1914 

125



Evertawt, Willmar 

21 Jewin Crescent 

London/England 


Kerling: 

Willmar Evertawt Racket, the, 

c. 1927 

The Willmar Evertawt Racket c. 1927 

Feltham: No. 2, lopsided racket with 

heraldic figure, c. 1878 


Feltham & Co. 

Investigations into the company by 

Michael Searle led to the following 

new and additional information in Aug. 

2002: 

Company: 

‘The Red Book of Commerce 1906’, 

states that Joseph Feltham’s firm was 

established in 1833, however, he was 

first known as a glover and a hosier. 

2 Barbican, first appeared in the ‘Post 

Office London directory’ in 1849. By 

1851 he is shown as a glove 

manufacturer and by 1861 the firm first 

appeared as Joseph Feltham & Co. at 

2 and 3 Barbican with a long 

description beginning “wholesale and 

export, makers of every requisite for 

archery, cricketing & fencing...” 

Further searches in the directories 

found the following addresses: 

1865: 

7 & 8 Aldersgate Street (late of 2 & 3 

Barbican) 

1875: 

64 Aldersgate Street 

1883: 

City Steam Works, 52 Little Britain, 

and 64 Aldersgate Street 

1900: 

47 Wilson Street, 54 & 55 Aldersgate 

Street, and Steam Manufactory, 

Burwood Place, Edgeware Road 

1906: 

72 Lower Thames Street 

1908: 

3 Long Lane, Aldersgate Street 

From 1911 through to 1919 no further 

entries appear suggesting that they 

ceased trading in 1911. 

Patents: 

Please refer also to the section on 

English Patents in this Update. 

1883 

No. 2954 

Date of application: 14th June, 1883 

Accepted same date. 

Lawn Tennis Bats 

Abstract: 

The object of this invention is to impart 

additional strength to a lawn tennis 

bat combined with increased lightness 

and resiliency... 

Inventor: Albert Joseph Altman, 

Aldersgate, London 

Remark: Investigations conducted by 

Update 

M.G. Searle revealed that Percy A. 

Altman together with A.W. Boyle were 

principals of Feltham in 1906. It is 

tempting to assume that Percy was 

Albert’s son. 


Collection Michael Searle: 

c. 1883: 

Resolute, mahogany wedge, 

impressed in black a coat of arms 

having the motto of the ‘Order of the 

Garter’ with the Lion and the Unicorn 

and the words “Feltham Patent London” 

then the above mentioned Patent 

Number 2954. Laminated frame 

in three layers probably ash/cane/ash. 

Collection S.Kuebler: 

c. 1878: 

No. 2, convex mahogany wedge, 

impressed is a heraldic figure, 

presumably showing a Lion and an 

Unicorn with a Coat of Arms. Lopsided 

racket, about 10°. Solid ash frame, 

edges rounded. Rounded grip 

coverings made of fine-grained pine. 

c. 1900: 

Prince of Wales, slightly flat topped. 

Convex. Shoulders canvas wrapped. 

Walnut heart. Pine grip coverings. 

Combed. Butt leather. Brass screw. 

Collection Rolf Jaeger Tennis Heritage 

Museum shown on page 635 in the 

book. 

c. 1878: 

Henry V 

(Henry V, King of England 1387 - 1422. 

Also Shakespeare’s play Henry V). 

The Gurney Collection: 

c. 1885 (Patent) 

Feltham - London, flat top, barley twist 

handle. 

“barley twist” 

126


Collection Dr. Kerling: 

c. 1879: 

Alexandra, small oval head, convex 

wedge, slightly lopsided. 

(Alexandra of Denmark 1844 – 1925 

was Queen Consort to Edward VII of 

the United Kingdom. Prior to that, she 

was Princess of Wales from 1863 to 

1901. From 1910, until her death, she 

was the Queen Mother, being a queen 

and the mother of the reigning 

monarch, George V of the United 

Kingdom, though she was more 

generally styled "Her Majesty Queen 

Feltham: The Alexandra with the coat 

of arm of the Prince of Wales, c. 1879 

A close look at the photo below reveals 

the German words: ICH DIEN, I serve. 

Alexandra".) 

The Prince of Wales's feathers is the 

heraldic badge of the Prince of Wales. 

It consists of three white feathers 

emerging from a gold coronet. A 

ribbon below the coronet bears the 

motto Ich dien. 

The badge is thought to have 

originated with Edward, the Black 

Prince, the eldest son of Edward III of 

England. According to legend, the 

Black Prince obtained the arms from 

the blind John I of Bohemia, against 

whom he fought in the Battle of Crécy 

Update 

in 1346. After the battle, the prince 

went to the body of the dead king 

(whom he admired for his bravery) and 

took his helmet, lined with ostrich 

feathers. The feathers and the dead 

king's motto made up the prince's new 

badge and came to be used by 

subsequent Princes of Wales. 

Excerpt from http://en.wikipedia.org/ 

wiki/Prince_of_Wales's_feathers 


Please amend and/or add: 

1879: 

St. James 

A lopsided racket ‘St. James’, 

(estimated 1879) with the stamped on 

trade mark: “Three Feathers of the 

Prince of Wales” and the number “3” 

was put up for auction on eBay, May 

2001. In fair condition it was sold for 

$ 3.383.- 

(St. James Palace was commissioned 

by Henry VIII, on the site of a former 

leper hospital dedicated to Saint James 

the Less. The hospital was disbanded 

in 1532. The new palace, secondary in 

interest to Henry's Whitehall Palace, 

was constructed in the red-brick Tudor 

style around four courtyards: its 

gatehouse survives on the north side, 

flanked by polygonal turrets. It 

became the principal residence of the 

monarch in London from 1698, when 

Whitehall Palace was destroyed by 

fire, and became the administrative 

centre of the monarchy, a role it still 

retains.) 

Eton 

(Named in reminiscence to one of 

England's largest independent 

secondary schools and one of the 

highest in prestige. It was founded by 

Henry VI in 1440–41 for 70 highly 

qualified boys who received 

scholarships from a fund endowed by 

the king. Simultaneously, Henry 

founded King's College, Cambridge, 

to which scholars from Eton were to 

proceed.) 

Marylebone 

Lopsided, with the heraldic figure 

“Feathers of the Prince of Wales” 

similar to the one on the Alexandra 

racket. 

127


(Named in reminiscence to the 

Marylebone Cricket Club - MCC -, 

founded in 1787.) 

c. 1888: 

Demotic, identical to the Slazenger 

Demon, with the typical fishtail grip. 

1889: 

Special, a copy of the Demon Racket 

of Slazengers. 

Tournament, very close stringing. 

1903: 

Champion 

Miscellanies 

An interesting court ruling: 

In 1889 Slazenger & Sons sued Feltham 

& Co. for infringement of their Trade 

Mark “Demon” since Feltham used 

the name “Demotic” for one of its 

rackets (Slazenger & Sons v. Feltham 

& Co (1889) 6 RPC 531). 

“There the plaintiff’s goods were 

marked The Demon and were known 

as Demon racquets. The defendant 

made an identical racquet. The 

defendant admitted looking through a 

dictionary for the entry Demon and 

wanted to see how near he could go to 

that word without actually taking it. 

He came upon Demotic and adopted 

that word. It had been argued that 

Demon described a particular kind of 

racquet. If that was so, the court asked, 

rhetorically, how could Demotic 

describe that particular kind of 

racquet? The court concluded that 

the defendant’s motive was not to 

describe a particular kind of racquet 

but to go as closely as he thought he 

could safely go to the plaintiff’s 

established trade mark. It is in that 

context that the court said that if, in 

Update 

the exercise of common sense there 

was an intention to deceive, why 

should the court not credit with 

occasional success that which the 

defendant was straining every nerve 

to do.“ 

This court ruling has been quoted in 

similar cases in Great Britain and many 

Commonwealth Countries over a 

hundred years until today over and 

over again. 

Feltham: Ad for tennis balls, c. 1895 

Feltham: Climax Lawn Tennis Bat 

and Climax Lawn Tennis Balls, c. 

1890 

128



Forrester & Sons 


Fortnam, Forrester & Co. 

Update 

eBay 2008: 

c. 1900 

Close Strung 

The Pilot 


Kerling: 

Unicorn, solid ash, mahogany wedge, 

fishtail handle, slightly flat-topped. 

c. 1892 

Please note: Only the name Fortnam 

appears on the racket. Forrester is not 

mentioned. 

For sale listed in an auction catalogue 

from Christie’s, July 5, 2005: 

Fortnam racket, flat-top 

c. 1890 

Forrester & Sons: The Pilot, reg., c. 

1900, with fishtail handle 

eBay 2008 

From an ad in “The Laws of Lawn 

Tennis”, Cricket Press Series, 

1921: 

Hexagon 

latest model with hollow wedge and 

cane insert. 

Emperor, frame chamfered on the 

inside. 


Sovereign Hexagon 

c. 1925 


Forrester, George 

Fortnam: Unicorn c. 1892 

Company: 

George Forrester was a golf club 

maker. The two villages Elie and 

Earlsferry merged in 1930. They are 

situated about ten miles south of St. 

Andrews (Scotland), the Mecca of 

golfing. The company existed at least 

until 1919. There are no clues that 

George Forrester had any relations to 

Forrester & Sons of London (above). 

129


New information : 

Fox, T. , & Co. Ltd. 

sold to R. J. Royal & Sons Ltd. in 2000 

England 

Update 

Company: 

Makers of the famous Samuel Fox 

Umbrellas. 

In 1868, Mr. Thomas Fox opened a 

shop in the city of London, to sell 

such necessities. Some 12 years later 

he sold the shop bearing his name to 

Samuel Dixon, the grandfather of June 

Dixon, who become the owner of the 

company until 1899. 

In the 1880’s a major change in the 

manufacturing process took place with 

the introduction of steel umbrella 

frames, invented by Samuel Fox. Mr. 

Dixon at this time was planning to 

expand the manufacturing and repair 

trade of his retail shop in the city of 

London and perceived that the new 

steel ribs were a great improvement on 

the old whalebone frames. 

In the late 40’s /early 50’s the company 

decided to diversify into another area 

of consumer goods and started to 

produce tennis rackets. 

However, not many were made and 

sold. 

References: 

http://www.rjroyal.com/history 

Samuel Fox: Silver Fox, c. 1950 

Additional information to page170: 

Frema 

Probably England 



Fox 


Patent: 

The seller of the Silver Fox on eBay 

claimed that a patent was issued with 

the number GB 522222. 

However, no such patent or design 

patent exists. 


eBay auction, Aug. 2000, “Scarce early 

Samuel Fox Tennis Racket”. 

c. 1950: 

Silver Fox, metal head, open heart 

with a throat bridge of metal, wooden 

handle attached. 

Frema: Fox, c. 1933 

(Photographs Dr. H. Kerling) 

130



Gamage, Ltd., A.W. 



1921: 

The 1921 Model 


S.N.D., the, (named after Stanley 

Doust), solid ash, concave, chamfered 

on the inside head, combed handle. 

c. 1925 

Auction at Christie’s 2002: 

Fishtail, concave wedge, tapered 

shoulders, deep grooved handle. 


Ariel, concave wedge, with red cord 

trim, octagonal handle. 

c. 1928 

Auction at Mullock Madeley 2000: 

Riseley Hexagon, bevelled head. 

c. 1928 


Update 


Gardiner Bros. 


The Association No. 3, solid ash frame 

with mahogany heart and cedar shingles, 

“Demon” type handle. 

c. 1905 


Lily, the, fantail, convex wedge. 

c. 1912 

eBay 2007: 

The Conqueror, Special 

c. 1912 

Paragon, barrel handle. 

c. 1912 


Gardner 

Waltham Abbey 

Great Britain 

Company: 

This company appears on a racket in 

the possession of Dr. H. Kerling. Its 

Trade Mark shows a bulldog with a 

racket in his mouth. It probably should 

not be confused with Gardner Bros. 

dealt with on page 175 of the original 

book. Another curiosity is the emblem 

of a blue dragonfly which was used 

identically by Dunlop during the same 

period in the mid 30’s. Dr. Kerling 

suggests that the racket was made by 

Dunlop. 

Pictures provided by Dr. H. Kerling. 

Dr. H. Kerling considers this racket 

as one of his favourites in his 

collection along with the Dragon Fly 

Dunlop rackets. 

On the backside of the heart section: 

Hobday Bros. Ltd., 

probably the name of the store , where 

the racket was sold. 

Reg. Trade Mark Britain’s Best 

Gardner (Waltham Abbey): 

The Blue Dragon Fly, c. 1937 

131 

Trade Mark Reg. No. 438035



Gradidge & Sons 

From the ad (c. 1926) on the right: 

Head Office: 

Artillery Place 

Woolwich, S.E. 18 

England 

Factories: Woolwich, Tonbridge & Bolton 

Update 

Company: 

Manufacturers of all requisites for Lawn Tennis, Cricket, Badminton, 

etc, etc. 

‘We are the sole makers of the World Famous “Imperial Driver” 

Cricket Bats, Patent No. 29207.’ 


Taken from the ad (c. 1926) on the right side: 

1926: 

Perfex 

H.J.G. 

Imperial Driver 

Regal 

Balls: 

Perfex 

Ad in “Lawn Tennis”, a book 

by Mrs. L.A. Godfree, 

Ward, Lock & Co., Limited, 

London and Melbourne, c. 1926 


Gibbs & Co. 

Retailer? 

Burton St. 

Nottingham/England 


Gibbs & Co., oval, convex. 

c. 1910 

Auction Mullock Madeley 2004: 

E.F., convex wedge, octagonal handle. 

c. 1913 


Grenville’s Limited 

England 




Grenville’s Limited, convex, fishtail 

mahogany handle, solid ash frame. 

c. 1914 


Grose, Geo., & Co. 

New Bridget St. 

Ludgate Circus 

London 

England 




Ritz, concave, handle with grooves. 

c. 1930 

132


New information to page 179: 

Grays of Cambridge 

H. J. Gray & Sons Ltd. 

New address since circa 1990: 

Station Road 

Robertsbridge, East Sussex, England 

The following information was taken 

from a commemorative, comprehensive 

presentation of the company 

celebrating its 150th anniversary 1855- 

2005 (condensed version). 

Company: 

Grays of Cambridge was founded 1855 

by Henry John Gray. He was employed 

at the Racket Courts of the University 

Arms Tavern on Parker’s Piece in 

Cambridge. It was here that he first 

started making rackets and balls in 

1855. He became rackets professional 

and World Champion in 1863. His 

Trademark in the 1870’s 

drawn to the stamp on a racket 

died in an accident in 1914 and 

Douglas, joined the company. 

Grays was one of the founding 

members of the British Sports 

Manufacturer Association together 

with Slazenger, Ayres, Surridges, and 

Wisden in 1919. A new factory named 

Gray-Russell was opened in 

Portartington, Ireland, in the early 

Update 

A saw mill was built at Coton near 

Cambridge. This is now the home to 

the Real Tennis and Rackets frames 

factory, the only one in the world. 

She was succeeded by her two sons 

William and John during the 1960’s. 

In the 1970’s Grays continued to 

expand and embarked on an ambitious 

acquisition programme buying up 

leading firms such as John Wisden, 

Edwards, Taylor Ralph, Sams 

Brothers, Atlas, Vicourt and Dukes 

Cricket Balls. 

In the early 1980’s stiff competition 

from the Far East forced the company 

to restructure. The Cambridge factory 

was closed, a number of sites acquired 

during the previous decade were 

closed or sold. The company 

established its new Head Office in 

Robertsbridge. Once again though, 

the company reinvented itself and 

The Xtra-Tec Real Tennis Racquet 1995 

company grew rapidly manufacturing 

racquets and cricket bats as well as 

balls. 

He retired in 1896 and was followed by 

his son Horace. Grays ran shops then 

at 

8, Rose Crescent 

a factory in Searle Street 

a London Office at 8, Goswell Road 

a Golf Course in Grantchester 

The affix ‘& Sons’ to the company’s 

name was first recorded in 1912. 

The company moved to larger 

premises called Playfair Works in 

Benson Street, Cambridge, in 1912, 

which would become the home of the 

company for a long time until 1985. 

Horace Gray’s twin sons, Leslie who 

1920’s in association with the local 

timber merchant Harry Russell. 

The famous Light Blue Racket was 

introduced in 1927. (Note of the author: 

probably the Light Blue was already 

manufactured in 1926 or even 1925). In 

1930 the Light Blue Tennis Ball was 

approved by the LTA (Lawn Tennis 

Association). 

Douglas Gray died in the 1930’s, aged 

47, and was succeeded by his wife 

Alison Rhone Gray. She guided the 

company skilfully through the difficult 

war years. Under the ‘Concentration 

Industries Act’ Grays was appointed 

a nucleus firm acquiring ten other 

sports firms which formed the 

foundation of the brands today. 

concentrated on building up its 

hockey, cricket and Real Tennis and 

Rackets racquets business being a 

world leader in these areas. 


1930: 

The Light Blue, strung with green and 

white gut. 

Comment: green and white gut was in 

vogue in the early 1930’s. It is claimed 

that about 75 % of all rackets restrung 

used this colour combination at that 

time in England. Grays who was first 

commented: “Imitation is the sincerest 

form of flattery”. 

133


1939: 

Super Blue 

c. 1950: 

Light Blue Tournament 

7 ply, 131/1, gut, (ash, hickory and 

beech) 

Masterpiece, 7 ply,131/1, gut strung 

Eton Blue, 7 ply, 118/4, gut strung 

Super Blue, 7 ply, 104/8, gut or 

Multifil Nylon 

Gray, the 7 ply, 91/-, gut strung 

Treble Blue,7 ply, 86/6, gut 

Varsity, 5 ply, 81/1, silk 

Light Blue Junior, 63/9, silk or gut 

Update 

In a collection: 

Steel Master, oval, concave. Wooden 

laminated racket with a tubular chrome 

plated steel shaft. 

c. 1975 


Halley, Jas. B. 


Tween, close stringing. 

c. 1910 



Harris, T., & Son 


Early 1920’s: 

Smart, concave, fantail. 


Haycraft, W. 


Shenfield, fantail handle. 

c. 1905 



Halsey, George 

Enfield 

North London/England 

Company: 

The company proclaimed (shown on a 

circular stamp on a racket) that it was 

awarded the 1st Prize Medal and 

Diploma from the Sports, Games and 

Industrial Exhibition in Scarborough, 

England, held from May to October 

1896. 


Geo. Halsey, oval, convex. 

c. 1900 




Club, the, solid ash, convex, regular 

octagonal handle. 

c. 1905 

Hasley: The Club, c. 1905 


Hardy Bros. Ltd. 

Alnwick 

(in 2008: Hardy & Greys Limited 

Willowburn, Alnwick, 

Northumberland) 

England 

Company: 

William Hardy and his brother John 

James formed the Hardy Bros 

partnership in 1873. They both loved 

to fish and their passion became their 

business. The great line of Hardy rods 

and reels got its start in this way. 

The early rods were made from 

greenheart, lancewood and hickory. 

In 1880 bamboo was added and soon 

the company invented split bamboo 

rods. 

The Hardy Bros partnership became a 

limited company in 1911 and in 1928 it 

became a publicly owned company. 

The House of Hardy continues at the 

present time to manufacture the very 

best of fishing rods, reels and tackle. 

134 

From Manfred Schotten: Old Sport 

Exhibition 2004: 

Rackets made: 

Split Bamboo Tennis Racket 

c. 1925



Hazells Limited 

Company: 

Prior to about 1930, the company’s 

name was Hazell & Co. 

Name on the wedge of the 

Flight racket, frame with raw hide 

insert, c. 1930: 

Hazell & Co. 

Name on the wedge of the 

Ascot racket, solid frame, c. 1930: 

Hazells Ltd. 

eBay 2007: 

Avenue, c. 1931 


The company advertised in an 

undisclosed magazine in 1936: 

1936: 

Hazells Streamline, Blue Star, 

Price 75/- 

Hazells Streamline, Red Star, 

Price 65/- 

Both according to Patent App. No. 

18060/35 and Reg. Design No. 803470. 

An unchanged ad in the same 

magazine but from the year 1937 

mentions now Patent No. 449362 

instead of the application. 

In the same magazine of 1938: 

Additionally: 

1938: 

Hazells Streamline, Green Star, 

Price 55/- 

In the same magazine of 1939: 

Additionally: 

1939: 

Hazells Streamline, White Star, 

Price 45/- 

In an ad in “Lawn Tennis and 

Badminton”, 1947, by Hazells Ltd., 

Playfair Works, Cambridge, – Grays of 

Cambridge – (Hazells were taken over by 

Grays) 

Update 

1947: 

Hazells Streamline, Blue Star 

Hazells Streamline, Red Star 


The Tournament 

Adroit (Hazell & Co.) 

c. 1930 


Kerling: 

Monarch, Hazell & Co. solid frame, 

concave. 

c. 1925 

eBay 2007 (Hazell & Co.): 

Scarborough 

c. 1920 

Popular 

c. 1925 

Tennis und Golf, page 227, 1931 

Ad from 1919: 

Please note Hazell & Co. 

and not Hazell Limited. 

Hazell: Monarch, c. 1925 

Left: Hazell & Co. - Flight, c. 1930 

Right: Hazells Limited - Ascot, c. 1930 

135



Hayley, H. 

Leeds and Wakefield 

England 

Company: 

A certain H. Hayley was mentioned in 

the “Yorkshire Cricket Archive” 

(Internet) as a player in the Yorkshire 

Second XI v. Major and in the Major 

Shaw’s XI in 1906. There could be a 

relationship. 

Racket in the collection of S. Kuebler: 

Marvel 

Leeds and Wakefield. Solid ash frame. 

Convex wedge of mahogany. Cedar 

shingles. 

“When not in use please keep in a 

press.” 



Hobbies 

England 

Company: 


It is reported that the company made 

steel rackets in the early 1920’s. 


Hubble & Ames 

The Kent Sports House 

Gillingham 

England 

Company: 



Horn, J.D., 

4&6 Carts Lane 

Leicester 

England 


Hutton H. 

Durham 

England 

Update 





Wonder, the, transitional flat top, 

convex, grooved long handle. 

c. 1890 


All England, oval, flakes of the handle 

extend from the butt end to the very top 

of the convex wedge. 

c. 1900 

Hubble & Ames: Raleigh c. 1952 


Hayley H.: Marvel, c. 1912 

136


New information: (Update 2010) 

J. ????e & Son 

39. London Rd. 

London 

England 

Update 

Company: 

The decal on the racket named “The 

Green Rose” is damaged 

unfortunately at the place where the 

company’s name was printed. 

The Elephant & Castle was once 

considered the "Piccadilly Circus of 

South London", but these days it is a 

centre of student life, with London 

South Bank University and the 

London College of Communication 

(formerly London College of Printing) 

having campuses nearby. 

Racket in the collection of S. Kuebler: 

The Green Rose 

Laminated frame. Three plies. 

Bevelled on the inside. Raw hide or 

coloured wood insert. Three bindings 

at shoulder. Concave. Reinforced 

shoulders. Sycamore heart. Cedar 

shingles. A decal with a beautiful red 

rose and green leaves. Deep grooved 

handle. Butt leather. 


J. ????e & Son: The Green Rose, c. 1933 

137



Jaques 

Address given in the German ad of 

1909 mentioned below: 

102, Hatton Garden 

Update 


From a German ad in “Der Lawn- 

Tennis-Sport”, Berlin, 10 Aug. 1905. 

1905: 

Jaques 

Special Jaques 

Racket de Luxe 

From a German ad in “Fichard, Lawn 

Tennis Jahrbuch 1909”. 

1909: 

Jaques 

Special Jaques 

Extra Special Jaques 

Million 

Citizen 

Monarch 

Imperial 

Balls: 

Jaques Lawn-Tennis Ball 

From a sales catalogue by Heinrich 

Büchner, Regensburg: 

c. 1910: 

Spezial Champion 

Jaques Spezial 

Spezialklub 

Wonder 

Diamand 

Jaques: Club, c. 1905 (Dr. H. Kerling) 

Rackets in the collection of Dr. H. 

Kerling: 

The Champion Special, solid ash 

frame 

c. 1900 

Club 

c. 1905 

Royal, 

c. 1935 

Auction Mullock Madeley Dec. 

2000: 

Caneflex 

c. 1938 

eBay 2006: 

Crown, with unusual six-sided 

fantail handle 

c. 1900 

Volley Special, fishtail handle 

c. 1910 

Conqueror 

c. 1925 

Jaques: The Champion Special 

c. 1900 (Dr. H. Kerling) 

138 

Jaques: Royal, c. 1935 

(Dr. H. Kerling)


Additional information to page 218/221: 

Jefferies & Co. 

Update 

Company: 

Please amend: 

The company was known as Jefferies 

and Malings until 1880. 

Please add: 


1887: 

Ye Tennis 

c.1924: 

Angelic, concave, fishtail. 

c. 1932: 

Gold Medal Ruby, the, concave, oval, 

wooden handle with two strips of 

suede material glued to the top of the 

handle pieces. 

Rackets in the collection of Dr. 

Kerling: 

c. 1900 

Handicap 

Club 

c. 1920 

Hyde Park, the, selected, convex, 

fishtail. 

c. 1930 

Special Ruby, concave, with deep 

grooves at the handle end. 



Mullock Madeley in 2004. 

(Dr. H. Kerling). 

Our Special, convex. 

c. 1910 




c. 1895: 

Jefferies 

c. 1900 

The Special selected, convex, solid 

ash, no bindings at shoulders. Barrel 

or hammer handle. 

c. 1910 

Our Special selected, with barrel or 

hammer handle. 

c. 1910 

The Match 

Devil selected, convex, solid ash, cord 


c. 1913: 

The De Luxe 

Jefferies: The Hyde Park Selected 

c. 1920 

Jefferies: GF Spezial, made for 

Gebrüder Feisenberger, c. 1922 

Photograph Dr. H. Kerling 

Amendment to page 221: 

G. F. Special 

Meaning: 

G. F. = Gebrüder Feisenberger, sole 

distributor for these Jefferies rackets 

in Germany. 

For the Diamond Strung racket the 

estimated year of manufacture should 

of course read 1893 and not 1993 (page 

221). 

139 

Jefferies: Club, c. 1910 


Jefferies: Ad in Pastime, 

March 30, 1887


Update 

Jefferies: Special Ruby, c. 1920 

Photos courtesy Dr. Kerling 

The upper head is chamfered to both sides, a speciality of 

Jefferies. Patent No. 19 150 is stamped onto the heart region. 

c. 1928/32 

Jefferies/Sykes: Gold Medal Ruby. 

Courtesy Dr. Kerling 

Note: Patent No. 19150 

(that number was not discovered in 

the European patent data base) 

140



S. R. Jeffery & Son Ltd. 

134 High Street 

Guildford/Surrey 

England 

Company: 

Gunsmiths and sports goods dealer 

from 1902 to 1989. 

eBay 2007: 

Update 


Kerr, John, Bros. 





Auction Mullock Madeley 2000: 

Tournament Special, concave wedge. 

c. 1925 

Court, the, ash throat, mahogany 

scored handle. 

c. 1930 


King & Co., A. 

London 





Excelsior, convex, fishtail handle with 

deep central groove. 

c. 1900 

S: R. Jeffery & Son Ltd: 

The Windsor, scored handle, 

convex wedge 

c. 1905 

141



Lawsons 

London 

Rackets in the collection of 

Dr. H. Kerling: 

The Ideal, solid ash frame. 

c. 1928 


Lenglen’s Ltd. 


High Hoboken? 


Helmex, laminated frame, insert with 

rawhide, concave, combed handle. 

c. 1930 



Athletic Goods Co. 

England 

Update 




Aristocrat, laminated frame, concave 

c. 1939 

Lenglen’s: Helmex, c. 1930 


Lillywhites 



1921: 

Twyford 

Predominant 

Improved Endymion 

Lowe & Campbell: Aristocrat, c. 1939 

“Sole West End Agents for the ‘Tate’ 

Racket”. 


Lawson: The Ideal c. 1928 


Lillywhites Jos., Frowd & Co. 

Address for James Lillywhite, Frowd 

& Co.: 2 Newington causeway; 

manufactory, 69 to 74 Borough road, 

London S.E. 



at an auction performed by Mulock 


Electric, the 

c. 1925 

142 


Logesom 

Hoddleson 



The Vixen, fishtail handle 

c. 1895 


Lugard & Pulham 

Wembley/England 


Eland Moth, oval, laminated, concave. 

Several bindings on shoulders and 

shaft. Combed wooden handle. 

c. 1935



Lunn & Co., 

Horncastle, Lincolnshire 

England 


From a description in ‘Racket Sport 

Collectibles’, Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 

2002: 

Lunn & Co., Horncastle, convex, with 

an original leather wrapped handle. 

c. 1875 


From an auction catalogue of Christie’s, 

June 21, 1996: 

Lunn & Co., of Horncastle, Lincolnshire, 

racket with tilted head (lopsided), convex 

wedge, circular cork handle. 

c. 1876 


MacKee, William, & Co. 

10 Queen Street 

Cardiff 

England 

Company: No information is available 

about this company. 


From an auction catalogue of Mullock 

Madeley, Nov. 20/21, 1998. 

The Match, solid frame, fishtail handle, 

convex wedge. 

c. 1914 

Update 


Malings, Henry 


Henry Malings, Frances St. Woolwich, 

tilted to one side with a relatively small 

head and a long handle. 

c. 1875 


The MCC Bat Works Ltd. 

not MMC, please amend 

Bedford 

Great Britain 



Tavistock, concave, solid ash, 

chamfered, leather on handle probably 

added at a later date. 

c. 1920 

Remark of the author: Tavistock is an 

old historic market town situated on 

the River Tavy in Devon, England. 


Stirling, concave wedge. 

c. 1925 




Bedford, the, solid ash, concave. 

c. 1920 

Remark: Please note the unusual 

throat construction 

The MCC Bat Works: Tavistock c. 1920, Photograph Dr. H. Kerling 

143 

MCC: The Bedford, c. 1920



Mead & Toomer 

Southampton 

England 

eBay 2006: 

The Marvel 

c.1910 


Merigold Bros. 

Preston 

England 

Company: No information is available 

about this company. 



Madeley, Nov. 29, 1997. 

The Imp, fishtail handle with concave 

wedge. 

c. 1920 


Moore, John 

Bath 

Update 



Globe, concave, scored handle 

c. 1928 


Murton, Henry A. 


Premier, oval, laminated convex wedge 

c. 1908 


Montgomery & Co., Limited, 

Adams 

London 

England 

Mead & Toomer: The Marvel, c. 1910 

Company: 

A horse as trade mark. 


Merrie England, Model de Luxe, solid 

ash frame, long stretched oval face, 

concave, combed handle. “Phast 

wedge, perfect balance.” – Wedge 

probably patented – English patent 

446???. 

c. 1930 

Montgomery: Merrie England, 

c. 1930 

144



Muller 

‘The Strand’ London/England 

Company: 

Muller produced badminton rackets 

strung with silk (information provided 

by Gerald Gurney). 


The Razar, laminated frame, rawhide 

insert, shown on racket: strung 

Corado, Made in England. 

c. 1935 

Update 

Muller: The Razar, c. 1935 


Murray & Baldwin 

eBay auction2006: 

Spencer Moulten, ergonomic handle 

to follow the shape of the fingers 

c. 1930 

Murray & Baldwin: Spencer Moulten, c. 1935 

Spencer & Moulton was a maker of 

tennis balls. 

145



M. & W. 


It could also be the German company 

Müller & Wimmer (M.&W.). Please 

consult the German section of this 

Update. 


The Favourite, solid ash frame, 

elongated oval face, convex, combed 

handle. 

c. 1910 


Nash, Robert J. 

‘Racket Maker’ 



Corinthian, concave, laminated, 

leather wrapped handle, reinforced 

shoulders. 

c. 1955 


Nusser E. & Co. 

72, Dean Street, Shaftesbury Avenue 

London, W. 

Racket in collections: 


Special Hurlingham, solid ash, 

mahogany heart, cedar shingles. 

Fishtail handle. 

c. 1909 

Update 


Ormond 

Rackets in the collection of Dr. 

Kerling: 

Club c. 1896 

Darling (children) c. 1900 

Eclipse c. 1900 

Victory c. 1902 

Emperor c. 1905 

Invincible c. 1905 

Terror c. 1905 

Darling c. 1914 

Hartington c. 1914 

Court c. 1922 

Regent c. 1925 

Kuebler- collection: 

London c. 1883 

Pastime c. 1899 

Ideal c. 1920 

Wolffs Spezial c. 1930 




Alert c. 1905 

Challenge c. 1910 

Extra c.1910 

Meteor c. 1910 

Marvel c. 1919 

Swift c. 1925 

Nusser: Special Hurlingham, c. 1909 



From a German ad in “Fichard, Lawn- 

Tennis Jahrbuch, 1909”: 

1909: 

Special Hurlingham, with octagonal 

handle. 

Jay Gould, Esq., the American and 

English tennis champion, writes: 

“I find your racquets absolutely the 

best, and have used them in all my 

important matches.” 

146


Update 

Ormond: Hartington, c. 1914 

All photographs Dr. H. Kerling 

Ormond: Hartington, c. 1914 

Details of the grooves and the fantail 

handle 

Ormond: Challenge, c. 1896 

Ormond: Wolffs Spezial, c. 1930 

Ormond: Emperor c. 1900 

(imprinted the name of the sole distributor in Germany: D. H. Wagner & Sohn, 

Leipzig 

Ad of the sole distributor for Ormond 

rackets in Germany c. 1910 

147



Page & Co., J. Edward 

England 


From a description in ‘Dr. Mh. 

Pfaundler: Die Principien und Theorien 

des Lawn-Tennis-Spieles’, issued 

1898. (This information was provided 

by Dr. H. Kerling). 

1897: 

Flexible, with a handle of resilient 

materials according to English Patent 

3506, accepted 1892. 


Parkins & Gotto 

England 


Parkins & Gotto, convex, flat-topped. 

c. 1895 

Parkins & Gotto, convex, more oval. 

c. 1895 



Sotheby’s in 2003 (Dr. H. Kerling). 

Parkins the Universal, convex, 

fishtail handle. 

c. 1890 


Perry & Co. 

Reading/England 

Company: 

One racket of this company was offered 

for auction at eBay in 2007: 

1910 - 1920: 

Spartan, oval face, concave. 

On the heart region stamped in gold: 

Perry & Co., Reading. 

Maybe this company was a different 

one from the one with the ad from 

1892, where the address was given as 

Frankfurt a. M. 

Amendment: 

The “Marvel” racket shown on page 

281was more likely made between 1910 

and 1920 and not c. 1905. 

Update 


Piggott, Ltd., John 

Company: 

In about 1895 the company described 

itself: 

Piggott Bros., & Co. 

Manufacturers 

57,58 & 59 Bishopsgate St. 

London 

‘Manufacturers of marquees and tents, 

for sporting, travelling, engineering, 

surveying, & prospecting, also artistic 

designs of tents for garden grounds 

and lawns.’ 

From an ad in 1897: 

John Piggott 

City Tennis, Cricket & Cyclists’ 

Outfitter. 

117 & 119 Cheapside, & Milk Street 

London 

Racket manufactured: 

c. 1895: 

The Fishtail 

1897: 

The J. P. 

with taper type handle (page 634) 

148



Prosser T.H. & Sons 

Company: 

In a letter from Elisabeth Prosser which 

was published in “The Tennis 

Collector”, No. 39, summer 2000, page 

16, she stated that the company 

manufactured the famous Prosser tennis 

rackets and other sporting equipment 

such as cricket bats from 1857 until the 

1950’s. 

From a letter of Sally Vivian, nee Sally 

Prosser great-granddaughter of 

Thomas Henry Prosser, to the author 

dated March 3, 2006: 

“My grandfather A.E. Prosser 

continued production until his death 

in 1923. It is after A.E. Prosser’s death 

that Ltd. appears on rackets.” 

Racket in the collection of Adrian 

Keats: 

The MSD, manufactured by Prosser 

for the Melbourne Sports Depot, 

Melbourne 

c. 1920 

At an auction performed by Sotheby’s 

in 2003: 

Superb, the, fishtail 

c. 1920 

Update 


From a catalogue (courtesy David 

Cornwell, New Zealand) of the company 

for 1929. Rackets with the highest price 

tag listed first. 

1929: 

Prosser’s Super Model, top model, 

result of our 72 years’ experience, frame 

made of English ash, wedge of walnut, 

face pieces of mahogany, box handle, 

shoulders strengthened with vellum and 

bound with surgical gut. Deeply grooved 

handle. 

Rolls Royce of Rackets, concave, 


Improved Phenomenon, concave, 


Special Corona, concave, deeply 

grooved handle. 

Corona, concave, deeply grooved 

handle. 

Association, concave, deeply grooved 

handle. 

Permirus, concave, deeply grooved 

handle. 

Nulli Secundus, (second to none) 

concave, deeply grooved handle. 

Don, concave, deeply grooved handle. 

Challenge, concave, deeply grooved 

handle. 

Monitor, concave, deeply grooved 

handle. 

Prosser: Super Model, 1929 

Prosser: Phenomenon Improved 


Kerling: 

Ivanhoe 

c. 1910 

Phenomenon Improved 

c. 1933 

Letterhead from 1929 (courtesy David Cornwell, New Zealand) 

Original was unfortunately lost. Scanned from a photocopy. 

149



Quin & Axtens 

Brixton/London 

England 


Sams’ Bros & Barnes Ltd 

Hoddesdon 

England 

Update 

Company: 

William Raymond Axtens was the 

owner of the Brixton Department store 

Quin & Axtens. It operated from 1905 

to 1941. It sold rackets with its name 

on it. They were made by other 

manufacturers. 


Wimbledon, laminated frame. Eggshaped 

head. Combed handle. 

c. 1932 


Registered trade mark is an owl sitting 

on the globe – Sams’Bros. 

In the 1970’s Grays of Cambridge 

acquired Sams’ Brothers amongst 

other sporting goods companies. 


Kerling: 


Radcliffe 

England 


Pioneer, laminated frame. Shown on 

the racket: Decal of a sailing boat. 

c. 1955 

Radcliffe: Pioneer, c. 1955 


Redmayne & Todd 

England 

Company: 



Rushworths Ltd. 

Hudderfield/England 




Queen, solid ash, concave, scored handle. 

c. 1929 

. 

Sams’ Bros & Barnes: Royal c. 1933 

150



Sheffield Ltd., J. & S. 

266 & 244 Hackney Road (1921) 

London, N.E. 


From an ad in “Deutsches Lawn- 

Tennis-Jahrbuch 1913”, page 144: 

1913: 

A.D.P. designed by A.D. Prebble, Esq. 



1921: 

The A.D.P. 

Imperial 

Monarch 

Sovereign 

J.E.S. 

Driver 

Olympia 


Lionel Bradford, fellow collector 

wrote (spring 2000): 

“Address of the company: 

Hackney Rd., Bethnal Green, 

East London 

I lost contact with them when they 

closed in the 1960’s. At that time this 

was the heart of the furniture trade 

which no longer exists.” 


Smith Matthews 

London N1 

England 

Company: 


Update 


Club, solid frame. Bevelled on the 

inside. Combed handle. 

c. 1930 


Kerling: 

Sovereign, solid ash, combed handle, 

concave. 

c. 1925 

All photographs courtesy Dr. H. 

Kerling. 


Simpsons 

Aberdeen 

Scotland 




Madeley, 2003: 

Gem, the, fishtail, convex wedge. 

c. 1905 

Remark: Major Harry Gem founded the 

first Lawn Tennis Club in England, 

The Leamington LTC, in 1872. 


Smith, Odgen 

Cheapside/London 

Smith & Matthews: Club, c. 1930. 

Company’s name shown at the side of 

the shaft 


Sidney, France 

England? 




Madeley, July 12, 1997: 

Robert Hailet, autograph racket. 

c. 1970 

Lew Hoad Senior Racquet, autograph 

racket. 

c. 1970 



Lovall, convex 

c. 1890 

Sheffield: Sovereign c. 1925 


Empire, c. 1908 

151


Additional information to page 322: 

Slazenger Ltd. 

Christopher Elks, fellow collector, 

questioned in a letter if the statement 

of the author that all “Slazenger 

rackets with the imprint S & S 

(abbreviation of Slazengers and Sons) 

were possibly made later than 1890”. 

This can be maintained in view of a 

catalogue of the company of 1884/85 

in his possession which shows on its 

front page a clear stamp of S & S. 

Comment of author: The mentioned 

catalogue does not show the 

catalogue’s date of issue but 

rather Medals awarded to 

Slazengers at International 

Exhibitions, in 1884 and 1885. 

Lyle Jones gave the following 

suggestion, in Feb. 2004: 

“Slazenger apparently did use the 

six pointed star trademark before 

1890. I have an advertisement from 

an 1885 ‘Century Illustrated’ 

magazine for the Renshaw and 

Demon rackets. The Renshaw is 

shown with the star on its wedge. 

Gerald Gurney shows the same 

racket and star in his publication 

‘The Racket’. The advertisement 

he uses is from ‘the very rare Lawn- 

Tennis magazine of 1885’. Neither 

illustration is fine enough to show 

any lettering in or around the star. 

However, this information does 

not contradict what Slazengers 

told you regarding S&S and 1890.” 

The Vaile, similar to the E.G.M. 

However, rubber strips are inserted 

in the top and bottom of the handle in 

longitudinal direction but not higher 

than the edges of the handle, 

preventing the racket to twist in the 

player’s hand. 

c. 1921: 

Patterson G. L., concave racket with 

oval face, octagonal combed handle, 

from 1925 onwards with vellum 

bindings at shoulders. Made from 1921 

to at least 1926. Specially produced 

Update 

under the direction of G. L. Patterson 

(Wimbledon champion 1919). 

c. 1925: 

Lotus (eBay 2006) 

Anderson J. O., designed and used by 

the Australian J. O. Anderson, 

Australian champion 1924 and 25. 

Concave racket with oval face, 

octagonal combed handle, from 1925 

onwards with vellum bindings at 

shoulders. Made from 1924 to at least 

1927. Popular model in Australia. 

Advertised in Australian Lawn Tennis, 

The coat of arms of the Prince of Wales. On top is printed: “Ich dien”, in German 

I serve, I oblige. This name was used for a Slazenger racket made from 1886 to 1906. 


Please add the following rackets to 

the tables shown on page 335 to 337: 

c. 1890: 

Quadruple, oval face, convex, 

laminated. It consists of four pieces 

of ash cemented together – the same 

principle as the splice of a fishing 

rod. 

Triplicate, oval face, convex,

Update2010(22)

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