WIMBLEDON PROGRAMMES 1924/34; NEW REAL TENNIS TITLES; TENNIS PINS

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SEPTEMBER 11th: No words of mine can adequately express the true extent of our horror and sorrow at the awful events in America. The next few months will be important pointers about how national and international business will proceed. The book business has not escaped the general slowdown in activity. Having said that, trade continues in most parts of the world, and though understandably quiet, I have recently seen several orders from the USA. That's good, as we must all try to keep going. Don't let "them" set the pace.

INTRODUCTION: This newsletter contains some excellent bargains, some new titles, some old titles, and some regular friends. From my point of view, my eyes are set firmly on the early part of December when the Seniors come to London (see below). Although it might seem incongruous with what I have said earlier, it is still important for me to wish all my readers as content a Christmas holiday as is possible, and a much better New Year.

PHOTOGRAPH FACILITY: In my continuing policy of attempting to catch up with technology, I am about to buy a digital camera to be able to offer clients colour images of items they may wish to buy. This can be done either by sending the images by e-mail, or by printing out the images and sending them in the mail. I look forward to this further facility improving the service I can offer to clients. (Assuming I can master the technology!)

THE HONDA CHALLENGE for the Delta Tour of Champions presented by Buendia Coffee takes place in London's Royal Albert Hall from Wednesday 5th to Sunday 9th December. Players in the singles are Boris Becker, John McEnroe, Pat Cash, Henri Leconte, Petra Korda, Guy Forget, Jeremy Bates, and John Lloyd. Becker and Korda will be making their Albert Hall debuts. Playing in the doubles are Mansour Bahrami, Ilie Nastase, Peter McNamarra, Peter Fleming, and Chris Wilkinson. As a bonus, there will also be a singles match on Thursday evening between Martina Navratilova and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario. Bring this newsletter and take a discount on any books you buy there. Other than for Saturday, I believe there may still be a few tickets available for the other sessions. So treat yourself to a really fun experience and call the Royal Albert Hall box office now on…………………….0207-838-3104

WORLD OF TENNIS ANNUAL 1969 to 2001: I am very sorry to learn that this annual has ceased publication. This seems to be the moment to pay tribute to John Barrett, editor of every one of the 33 editions. His contribution to tennis record keeping is enormous, and his book has been the only source of publicly available statistical source, other than the player guides. The ITF may publish a slimmed down version. Here is a good selection of editions, some of which are much harder to find than others. (2001 is already out of print)

01: 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995…....£15

02: 1972, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1999, 2001 (1 copy only of these)…………..…….£20

NEW LAWN TENNIS TITLES: The following have been published in the last few months:

03: "Little Mo's Legacy: A Mother's Lessons, A Daughter's Story" by Cindy Brinker Simmons; 126 pp; HB in DW. The Maureen Connolly story as seen by her daughter……....£20

04: "Please Play On" by James Harbridge; 296 pp in PB. A new biography of John McEnroe in diary-form taking you through the highs and the lows of his amazing tennis career……£10

05: "Quality Tennis" by Mariana Diaz Oliva and James Harbridge; 121 pp in PB. Heavily illustrated book covering the main shots, strategy, fitness, and life as a tennis player….…£10

06: "Venus Envy: A Sensational Season Inside the Women's Tennis Tour" by L. Jon Wertheim; 225 pp; HB in DW. Mostly about Venus Williams, Serena and the rest of her family, their stormy life on the Tour, and their relationships with other top players………..£25

WIMBLEDON PROGRAMMES 1920'S & 1930'S: I have seen 2 or 3 editions from 1921 and 1922 previously, but Wimbledon Programmes from the period 1924 to 1934 have always remained very rare. This selection contains editions from the second week, and several are Finals Day (marked FDay). This is an exceptional opportunity to obtain some rare items, which fetch consistently high auction prices. All are in good, complete condition unless stated otherwise; in most of these, later results have been written in by the original owners.

07: 1924 Monday June 30th (2nd Monday); winners are Borotra and McKane. Two end pages have small portions absent but this is not on the draws, which are complete…..…£250

08: 1925 Thursday July 2nd (2nd Thursday); winners are Lacoste and Lenglen…………..£350

09: 1926 Wednesday June 30th (2nd Wednesday); winners are Borotra and Godfree. This is the 50th Jubilee Year, and the programme is nicely decorated externally………………….£300

10: 1927 Monday July 4th (3rd Monday/FDay); winners are Cochet and Wills………..…..£450

11: 1930 Monday 7th July (3rd Monday/FDay); winners are Tilden and Wills………..…...£350

12: 1931 Thursday July 2nd (2nd Thursday); winners are Woods (w/o) and Aussem……£250

13: 1932 Saturday July 2nd (2nd Saturday/FDay); winners are Vines and Moody…….....£350

14: 1933 Saturday July 8th; (2nd Saturday/FDay); winners are Crawford and Moody…..£350

15: 1934 Saturday June 30th; (1st Saturday); winners are Perry and Round. (damage)..£300

16: UK EVENT PROGRAMMES FROM THE 1920'S AND THE 1930'S: These refer to a period when here in the UK, we had many local and regional events, all organised into a regular annual calendar. Sadly almost all these events are now defunct. It was not unusual for some of the top players to compete in these events. "Budleigh Salterton (Devon) Open 1927"; "Budleigh Salterton (Devon) Open 1930"; "Exmouth (Devon) Open 1927"; "Reigate (Surrey) Open 1929"; "Royal Tunbridge Wells (Kent) Open 1928"; "Shanklin (Isle of Wight) Open 1929"; "Sidmouth (Devon) Cricket Club Open 1928"; "South of England Champs 1935" at Eastbourne (Sussex); "Sutton (Surrey) Hard Court Open 1927"; "Torquay (Devon) Open 1934". Each of these lovely old programmes (many with results written in) is offered at..£25

DUSTWRAPPER CORNER: In my continuing campaign for awareness and appreciation of the existence of dustwrappers on early tennis titles, here are four exceptional examples. They are not perfect, with little chips and absences. Please ask for detailed descriptions. Dustwrappers on any book before 1930 are now as rare as hen's teeth and make a substantial difference to the price of the same book without a dustwrapper; for purists only.

17: "Centre Court and Others (The)" by F.R. Burrow; 1st edition of 1937; 312 pp. The famous Wimbledon referee talks about the great moments and personalities in his life…£175

18: "Fifty Years of Lawn Tennis in Scotland" by A. Wallace MacGregor; 1st edition of 1927; 287 pp. The title says it all, and this large book is superbly illustrated………..…..…£275

19: "On the Court and Off" by Anthony F. Wilding; 6th edition (print run) of September 1913 (1st ed. of April 25th 1912); 273 pp. Wilding's autobiography, the first in tennis….£475

20: "Twenty Years of Lawn Tennis" by A. Wallis Myers; 1st edition of 1921; 180 pp. The great tennis writer tells of his early experiences of top tennis in the early 20th century..£475

21: PIERRE ETCHEBASTER HAND-WRITTEN LETTER: Dated 17th June 1926 and in a hand-addressed envelope (franked 18th July 1926), this is a three page French language letter to a correspondent in Clifton, Bristol. He talks about being at the Paris court and going to England in September for some matches. This may have been in the challenge of George Covey. This letter is therefore before he became World Champion (1928/1952)……….…£450

22: "BOOK OF TENNIS RACKETS from the beginning of the 16th century until about 1990" by Siegfried Kuebler; revised and expanded edition of 2001; 635 pp in large format. This is Siggy's English language edition, describing and illustrating many 1000's of collectable tennis rackets. This book is the essential reference source for all racket collectors…………£45

23: "HOME! The Evonne Goolagong Story" by Phil Jarrett; 1st edition of 1993; 400 pp; HB in DW. This is how tennis biographies should be written, at the end of the public career and in depth. Evonne is still one of the most popular Wimbledon champions, having two wins to her credit, either side of a birth. This copy is boldly autographed on the title page……….£100

NEW REAL TENNIS TITLES: There is an unusual number of new Real Tennis titles either available now or scheduled to be available shortly. For non-UK clients, I will be very pleased to supply any of these titles if you consider it easier for you to order and pay through me, or you can order them direct as indicated below. I think most are likely to sell out quite quickly.

24: "Jeu des Rois, Roi des Jeux" by Yves Carlier and Thiery Bernard-Tambour; large format PB with 181 pages. This is a catalogue of exhibition material shown at Fontainebleau to celebrate the recent refurbishment of the court. Lavishly illustrated with photographs of many of the exhibits, this book also serves as a history of Le Jeu de Paume in France…….£35

25: "J.T. Faber Book of Tennis and Rackets" by Lord Aberdare; 450 pages including 350 illustrations. This is the much anticipated revised update to Lord Aberdare's authoritative 1980 title "The Willis Faber Book of Tennis and Rackets". As Roddy Bloomfield says: "Lord Aberdare has scoured the record books, quizzed the club secretaries and interviewed players and professionals to build up a thorough, up-to-date perspective of both games internationally." (vide the T & RA Annual Report, p.115). Available in the standard edition, and in the leather-bound signed limited edition of 150 copies. Order details from Quiller Press Distribution, Sparrow Hall, Hindringham, Fakenham, Norfolk, NR21 0DP, England.

26: "Real Tennis in Cambridge: the first six hundred years" by Roger Morgan. Published to mark the restoration of the second Real Tennis Court at Cambridge, this thorough history (due any day now) researches the court since its first mention in 1410. Available in the standard edition of 450 copies, and in the special bound edition of 50 copies. Order details from Peter Raby, 71 Commercial Raby, Swaffham Bulbeck, Cambridge CB5 0ND, England.

27: "Tudor Tennis: A Miscellany" by Roger Morgan. This book examines the derivation of the technical words in Tennis, eg the scoring, penthouses, tambours, chases and so on. Available in the standard edition, and in the limited edition of 60 library copies. Order details from Bruce Ronaldson, 13 (A) Linkside Avenue, Oxford OX2 8HY, England.

SIR RICHARD HAMILTON died in October, aged 90. He was best known in Tennis circles first for being a key figure in the launching of the Moreton Morrell Tennis Court as a club. But he was also the translator into English of Albert de Luze's "La Magnifique Histoire du Jeu de Paume" (1933). It describes in considerable detail the game as played through the centuries in France. This is a particularly good moment to buy this attractive book while stocks last.

28: "A History of the Royal Game of Tennis"; English translation of 1979 in an edition (very large format) limited to 500 numbered copies, presented in slip-case and DW…….£250

29: "The Royal Game of Tennis"; 1st paperback edition of 1973; 20 pp. This is Hamilton's pleasantly illustrated, snap-shot history of the Moreton Morrell Tennis Court (1 only)…….£25

30: GUSTAVE DORE'S "JOUEURS DE PAUME AU JARDIN DU LUXEMBOURG": Collectors of prints and engravings related to Tennis will be familiar with this dramatic engraving. It shows the unusual game of Longue Paume, which is still played in small areas of France and Belgium. I had only seen this item loose, that is to say taken out of a book or magazine. This example is in its original state, and that is in an eight page French newspaper called "Le Journal Illustre", published in the edition dated 31st May to 7th June 1868. This is much earlier than I had realised. I have left the engraving in its original state; it is offered at..£145

31: "BJORN BORG CERAMIC PLATE": This highly coloured plate measures 21.5 cm across. It has a head portrait of Borg surmounting a scene of him on his knees on Centre Court. With a gold rim, the rear of the plate says this is one of a limited run from 1983. With it is a small certificate signed by Borg. It is part of a series of plates called "Tennis Greats"…………..£125

KAREL B. KOZELUH may not be a name which springs immediately to the mind of the average tennis fan, but in his time, he was a very famous player. Born in Prague in 1875, he was better known in tennis circles as an early and competent professional. He was a Wimbledon quarter-finalist in 1926 and 1927, coached the GB Davis Cup team in 1928 and 1929, and won many professional tennis events in Europe and the USA. He toured the USA playing many competitive exhibition matches with Vincent Richards & later with Bill Tilden.

32: "Learning Tennis" by Karel Kozeluh; published by Harry C. Lee whose rackets he used and endorsed; 32 pp in slender PB; covers detached but present. Illustrated with photographs of him demonstrating the shots. This copy is signed by him & dated 1945. …£75

SOME JUVENILE INTEREST BIOGRAPHIES: The following are not really at the top of my "literary merit" table, in that they are all very simply written and relatively short. But they are generally very hard to find, USA based only, and mostly published for universities. If you want everything there is on your favourite player, then you will want these.

33: "Andre Agassi Tennis Prince" by Gary Stern; 1993; 48 pp…………………………………£15

34: "Andrea Jaeger Pro in Ponytails" by Ray Sons; 1982; 46 pp; ex-lib…………………….£20

35: "Andrea Jaeger Tennis Champion" by J. Fogel; 1980; 42 pp……………………………..£20

36: "Fiery Tennis Star Jimmy Connors" by J. Smith; 1977; 31 pp; ex-lib……………….....£40

37: "Free Spirit Evonne Goolagong" by D. Herda; 1976; 47 pp; ex-lib…………………..….£30

38: "Ivan Lendl" by Chip Eliot; 1988; 48 pp; (just about all there is on Ivan)..……………..£20

39: "Jimmy Connors Sports Hero" by M. Burchard; 1976; 93 pp; ex-lib…………………….£40

40: "John McEnroe Sports Star" by S. Burchard; 1979; 63 pp; ex-lib..………………………£20

41: "Martina Navratilova Tennis Power" by R. Knudson; 1986; 58 pp……………………..£20

42: "Monica Seles Champion Tennis Player" by L. Burby; 1997; 24 pp…………………….£10

43: "Raising a Racket Rosie Casals" by A. Thatcher; 1976; 47 pp; ex-lib…………………..£30

44: "Smashing Jimmy Connors" by M Ogan; 1976; 45 pp; ex-lib, but very rare…………..£30

45: "Tracy Austin Tennis Wonder…" by P. Talbert; 1979; 48 pp in PB………………………£25

46: "Tracy Austin the World's Fastest Rising Tennis Star" by Miklowitz; 1978………..£25

SOME TOP BIOGRAPHIES: More ideas here for Christmas presents include four of my favourite player biographies. These are all very interesting life stories, 2 men and 2 women.

47: "Beyond Center Court My Story" by Tracy Austin; 1992; 224 pp. Still the youngest player to win the US Open Ladies' singles and now a tennis journalist, who looks great….£20

48: "Courting Danger, Alice Marble" by Dale Leatherman; 1991; 255 pp. The 1946 Wimbledon Ladies' champion and her (posthumous) memories of a very exciting life…….£25

49: "From Where I Sit" by Dan Maskell with John Barrett; 1988; 302 pp. This is the story of the coach to the GB Davis Cup winning team in the 1930's, who went on to become the most recognisable voice as a British TV tennis commentator. "Oh I Say!" is the later edition…..£25

50: "Tinling Sixty Years in Tennis" by Ted Tinling with Richard Evans; 1983; 226 pp. Another great man, whom I have been privileged to know, writes what I think is the best tennis biography of all. It covers the Lenglen era in detail and describes the development of the Women's tour from the first days; he was a friend of all the top women players…..…..£25

WINNING UGLY by Brad Gilbert. Here again is the most asked-for coaching book of the 1990's. Since its first appearance in 1993, I have sold many hundreds of copies.

51: 1st USA edition of 1993; 211 pp; HB in DW. One copy only of this edition………………..£25

52: 1st USA paperback edition of 1994; 228 pages. With a chapter by Andre Agassi……..….£8

TWO OLD FAVOURITES: Gordon Forbes is a splendid tennis author; his two books on his experiences on the Tour over many years have entertained 1000's of tennis fans of all ages.

53: "Handful of Summers (A)"; 1st edition of 1978; 238 pp; HB in DW………….…………..£25

54: "Handful of Summers (A)"; paperback edition of 1997; 330 pp…………………………….£5

55: "Too Soon to Panic"; 1st edition of 1995; 287 pp; HB in DW……..………………….…….£25

56: WIMBLEDON ANNUALS by John Parsons: Demand for these annuals, especially those I marked down to £10, has been incredibly strong. I can maintain most of these low prices for a further period while stocks last, thought they are getting low in some editions. This remains a very good opportunity to fill any gaps in your collection. Here is the price list:

1983 at £200; 1984 at £135; 1985 n/a; 1986 at £10; 1987 at £10; 1988 at £10; 1989 at £10; 1990 at £25; 1991 at £50; 1992 at £10; 1993 at £175; 1994 at £25; 1995 at £10; 1996 at £10; 1997 n/a; 1998 at £10; 1999 at £10; 2000 at £20; 2001 at £20.

WIMBLEDON ANNUALS 1988 and 1997, signed copies:

57: 1988 with laid in book-plate from The Championships; presentation copy, signed by the two champions, Steffi Graf and Stefan Edberg. (Best Graf signature I have ever seen)….£150

58: 1997 signed with a felt-tip pen by Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge……………£135

"WIMBLEDON: The Official History of the Championships" by John Barrett; reprinted edition of 2001; 468 pp in a massive format. Such a good seller at Queen's and Eastbourne and now reprinted, this is the ultimate Wimbledon history with the complete draw sheets for both main singles events since 1877 (Gentlemen) and 1884 (Ladies). The book has been thoroughly revised and expanded up to date, following its first appearance in 1986. This will make a superb Christmas present for all tennis fans. Listed at £25, I am repeating the very popular offer in Newsletter 45 with a discounted price and reflecting actual mailing costs.

59: For UK clients, INCLUDING POSTAGE (£7.37 1st class or £6.50 Parcel Force)…………..£25

60: For non-UK clients, PLUS POSTAGE (£9 Europe; £19 USA; £21 Australia & Japan)…….£20

TENNIS NOVELS: Here is another good selection of tennis fiction; all books are hardbacks in dustwrappers, and are 1st editions unless stated otherwise. Each is offered at………….£15

61: "Backhand" by Liza Cody; 1991; 279 pp. Anna Lee investigates a tennis mystery.

62: "Breakpoint" by W. Brinkley; 1978; 324 pp. A drama of revenge, courage and love.

63: "Double Fault" by J. Bickham; 1993; 351 pp. Brad Smith investigates for the CIA.

64: "Grand Slam" by D. Lambert; 1971; 220 pp. Nicky's last chance to win at Wimbledon.

65: "Poison in Play" by Nancy Spain; c1947 reprint; 168 pp no DW. Tennis murder mystery.

66: "Sudden Death" by Rita Mae Brown; 1983; 241 pp. Drama & lesbian love on the Tour.

67: "The Finalists" by Russell Braddon; 1977; 224 pp. Wimbledon Centre Court murder.

68: "The Total Zone" by Navratilova/Nickles; 1994; 246 pp. Jordan Myles investigates.

69: "World Class" by J. Boyar; 1976; 402 pp. Imaginary "let's follow the Tour" novel.

COACHING CLASSICS CORNER: I gain great pleasure from the older coaching manuals, mostly written by the great players. Coaching books take up more than 60% of the tennis bibliography. I try to offer only those books in good condition. Each of the following is a little unusual in its own way, either rare, or because it has a very special dustwrapper.

70: "Budge on Tennis" by J. Donald Budge; 1st USA edition of 1939; 180 pp in dustwrapper showing a full length Budge playing a backhand. The great Don shows us in many photos how he plays his shots. There is also a very early autobiographical section…………………£110

71: "Elements of Lawn Tennis" by John Hope Doeg and Alison Danzig; 1st USA edition of 1931; 178 pp in lovely 1930's dustwrapper showing full length male player in action……£110

72: "How to Play Better Tennis" by Ellsworth Vines; 1st USA edition of 1938; 119 pp in coloured dustwrapper showing full length photo of Vines ready to receive service………...£75

73: "How to Play Tennis" by Mercer Beasley; 3rd USA edition of 1934; 172 pp; no DW. This copy is inscribed and signed by Mercer Beasley as "Beas", dated Bermuda 1935………...…£95

74: "Le Tennis" by Suzanne Lenglen (champion du monde); French paperback edition of c1923; 96 pp. The photos show Suzanne and her chief rivals playing their shots.…………..£75

75: "Le Tennis, Sa Technique et Sa Psychologie" by Henry (sic) Cochet; 1st French paperback edition of 1933; 222 pp. This coaching book is profusely illustrated with flicker photos and star action photos, mostly of Cochet, who has also inscribed and signed it….£150

76: "Road to Wimbledon (The)" by C. Lockyer; 1st paperback edition of c1920; 64 pp. So rare that until recently even Wimbledon did not have a copy of this 'little' book (pun!)…..£75

77: "Tennis" by Helen Wills; 1st USA edition of 1928; 214 pp in chipped dustwrapper showing full length photo of Helen Wills; the illustrations in the book are all by Wills…...£125

78: "Tennis for Girls" by Florence Ballin; 1st USA paperback edition of 1926; 48 pp. I don’t know who she was; her little book has some marvellous shots of great women players…..£25

79: "Tennis for the Junior Player, the Club Player, the Expert" by William T. Tilden 2nd; 1st USA paperback edition of 1929; c209 pp. This book is an amalgam of 3 of his titles..…£60

80: "Tennis Simplified for Everybody" by Ellsworth Vines; USA paperback edition of 1933; 125 pp. Here are more action photos of the great Ellie Vines showing you how to play……£45

81: "Winning Tennis and How to Play It" by Sarah Palfrey Cooke; 1st USA edition of 1946; 247 pp in coloured dustwrapper showing Cooke in several forehand poses……….…£40

82: "World's Tennis Stars and How to Play the Game (The)" by Pat. O'Hara Wood; 2nd and enlarged edition (Australia) of 1927; 137 pp and heavily illustrated with many photographs of the top players of the day, such as Tilden, Brookes, Doherty etc. This nicely produced book is also a very important book in the Australian tennis bibliography…….…£185

FAREWELL JAROSLAV DROBNY: born 12 Oct 1921, died 13 Sep 2001. Drobny was always a Wimbledon favourite as was well proved by the huge reception he received in 2000 during the Champions' Parade. He won at Wimbledon in 1954 when he beat the young Ken Rosewall in four sets, having reached the semis in the two previous years, and he won the French Open in 1951 and 1952. Born a Czech, he played under the Egyptian and British flags. In later life, he ran a sports goods shop in London. He had been ill for several years.

83: "Champion in Exile" by Roy McKelvie; 1st edition of 1955; 249 pp; HB in DW. Drobny's biography, a copy of which he signed for me during this year's Wimbledon. …………....…£150

FAREWELL ARTHUR COLE: Arthur, who died in late October, was the doyen of Wimbledon photographers. He had a permanent seat in the Centre Court photographers' pit and prided himself on being first out of the pit at the end of every final before any other photographers had moved. He started in the late 1940's and only retired to Cornwall a few years ago. He was a lovely man, always immaculately dressed. Arthur was the father of Michael Cole, himself now a prominent tennis photographer, and of Susie Cole, whom I knew many years ago as "Susie Tennis World", promoting Tennis World magazine around the UK tennis circuit.

84: He published his major title in 1981 called "Rothmans Wimbledon on Camera". It is a large format (4to) book containing 256 heavily illustrated pages on Wimbledon……………£20

FAREWELL LARRY ADLER: Love him or hate him, he was a character and personality larger than life. I knew him well; I knew perhaps the private side which the world did not see. He was certainly a musical virtuoso on an instrument often looked down upon by the musical establishment as hardly an instrument at all, despite several leading composers having written works especially for him. We spent many hours talking (when I could get a word in which was not often) and I learned to see him in a non-controversial way, despite his rather strong political views. We kept to tennis and music, and he was a true tennis fan for his entire life, having once played in a doubles with Charlie Chaplin and Bill Tilden. Don’t believe half the bad things you may have read or heard about Larry. He was a fascinating man.

85: "Ayres' Lawn Tennis Almanack 1916"; one of the rare Great War editions in HB….£90

86: "Ayres' Lawn Tennis Almanack 1927"; 630 pp in HB; in beautiful condition………..£75

87: "Dawson's International Lawn Tennis Almanac"; 1961; 416 pp in PB……………….£20

87: "H.W. Austin Flicker Book No. 9" Forehand and Backhand Drives; c1932…..………£110

88: "Lawn Tennis Almanack 1939" by Dunlop; PB; this is the rare 1st edition……………£75

TENNIS PINS: I wrote last time about the large collection of tennis pins I had recently bought. I have now sold most of those, but I plan to continue in pins as they make such a colourful display. This is an area of the business which will benefit from the digital camera.

MAIL EARLY FOR CHRISTMAS: As I will be at the Royal Albert Hall from 4th to 10th December, there will be no mailing from me in that period. Please order early for Christmas!

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