JUNE EXHIBITIONS; WEBSITE AUCTION; ALAN MILLS’ LIFE STORY; BORG/McENROE 1980 FINAL; TRIMS

INTRODUCTION: The large sale in Newsletter 57 neatly achieved my object of stripping the stock room of a considerable number of routine and not always high quality tennis books, and quite a few customers made strategic purchases at very attractive prices. I will as usual still have a further quantity of similar books for sale at The Queen’s Club and Eastbourne, especially lots of old player guides for the ATP and the WTA. We are looking forward in only a few weeks’ time to the rush of events in June and July, culminating in the Championships at Wimbledon.

*** A new feature in this newsletter is that it should function as an adjunct to www.tennisbookshop.com. In reducing the length of Newsletter 58, I have used it as an introduction to a larger newsletter on www.tennisbookshop.com with the inclusion of more photographs. In addition, I have started up a small auction section, where items are listed and photographed, and reserve prices attached, so that visitors to www.tennisbookshop.com can bid on lots that appeal to them. The closing date for these lots is midday on 31st May. Let me have feedback on this development please, as I suspect it is the way to go for the future, when you keep in mind the comments below about the very fast growth of my e-mail address list. And, if there are any other items in Newsletter 58 for which you would like a photo, just let me know. Several customers have used this facility with great success. This may disenfranchise customers who do not have e-mail, and I know some never will embrace the new technology, which is why I will always print some newsletters. But e-mail and the internet are clearly the future, so let’s go with it.

*** I have recently subscribed to Daily Tennis, a daily internet newsletter about global tennis matters. It issues 4 bulletins per weekday, and is an excellent way of keeping right upto date on the game. I am much enjoying the service. The web-address for enquirers is www.tennisnews.com

*** I have opened up another e-mail address alan@tennisbookshop.com. I will be running both e-mail addresses together for quite a while.

*** I noted a piece in the paper recently saying that two main codes of Fives (Eton & Rugby, and Winchester) have united under the name of the Fives Association, in order to fight for the long-term survival of the sport. Fives is actively played in several schools in the UK.

QUEEN’S CLUB, EASTBOURNE, WIMBLEDON, ALBERT HALL:

Here are the dates for the main events of my year. I really do look forward to seeing as many customers as possible; don’t forget I always sell my books cheaper at exhibitions, as I don’t have to make parcels etc.

Monday 6th to Sunday 12th June: Stella Artois Men’s Championships at The Queen’s Club, Barons Court, London.
Monday 13th to Saturday 18th June: Hastings Direct International Ladies’ Championships, in Devonshire Park at Eastbourne.
Monday 20th June to Sunday 3rd July: The Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon.
Tuesday 29th Nov to Sunday 4th Dec: The Masters’ Tennis at the Royal Albert Hall, London.

UPCOMING SPORTS AUCTIONS:

These are the sports auctions notified to me so far for the next few months. I am usually available to view and report on items which interest you, and to bid for, collect and dispatch. I will certainly be at the Graham Budd and the Christie’s auctions.

GRAHAM BUDD AUCTIONS at Sotheby’s Olympia in London on Wednesday 18th May. The catalogue is here and contains 36 Racket Sports items, including some nice silver objects, the Harry Carpenter Wimbledon archive, a fine bronze statue of a tennis player c1906, and other objects. See the catalogue at www.antiquestradegazette.com/grahambudd.

MULLOCK MADELEY in Shropshire on 15th/16th June, though not yet 100% fixed. The catalogue will appear at www.mullockmadeley.co.uk

CHRISTIE’S SOUTH KENSINGTON at 85 Old Brompton Road in London on Tuesday 5th July. The catalogue is not yet available, but I have heard they have a splendid collection of old classic rackets, a small number of early lawn tennis titles, a quantity of silver tennis theme objects, a very early pair of part strung part vellum battledores in lovely condition, and an original hand-written playlet script by Bill Tilden. The catalogue will appear at www.christies.com

CHANGES AT THE ALL ENGLAND LAWN TENNIS CLUB: There has been quite a bit of publicity recently to announce that Chris Gorringe, (the Chief Executive) and Roger Ambrose, (the Club Secretary) have both decided to retire in 2005. New appointments have been announced and they are that Ian Ritchie will take over as Chief Executive and Martin Guntrip will take over as Club Secretary.

AT LAST…………………………THE ALAN MILLS STORY IS HERE!

001: “Lifting the Covers: Alan Mills the Autobiography” by Alan Mills; 1st UK edition of June 2005; 320 pages in hardboards and dust-jacket. Here at last is one of the great tennis stories of the last few decades in the life and times of Alan Mills, top tennis player and Referee of the Wimbledon Championships for the last 21 years. Not just the Championships but also a huge number of Davis, Wightman and Federation Cup ties and many tennis events all over the world have been controlled by the urbane unflappable Mills. “Send for Mills” was the cry for tournament committees everywhere, and in flew Wimbledon’s favourite rain-man! The book is a valedictory as he will soon be standing down from the top tennis refereeing job. He speaks quite candidly about the pressures, the verbal squabbles, the weather, the truculent tennis stars, and much more. This is probably the tennis book of 2005 and I heartily recommend it to all tennis fans, especially those with a soft spot for the Championships. £20/$35

See items 001 & 002

BORG vs McENROE 1980 WAS IT THE BEST WIMBLEDON MEN’S FINAL EVER? RELIVE THE DRAMA & THE TENSION
002: “Borg versus McEnroe: The Greatest Rivalry The Greatest Match” by Malcolm Folley; 1st UK edition of 2005; 214 pages in hardboards and dust-jacket. This is the 25th anniversary of that great show-down on Centre Court between two arch-rivals. Borg already had 4 Wimbledon titles under his belt; this was McEnroe’s first final. He was bursting with ambition and aggression to win, and for a while it looked as though he would. Borg went 2 sets to 1 ahead but then came that amazing tie-break. First one led then the other. The tension was unbearable, the retrieving unbelievable, and the artistry unmatchable. After what seemed an eternity, McEnroe seized the set by 18-16 to level the match. Wherever I looked around Centre Court I could see so many people weeping with the strain. Even the Press stand was cheering and clapping; that is an exceptional sight! Borg eventually served out the final set to gain his 5th title and set up the return for 1981, which at last saw McEnroe triumph. For those with the memory of that match, this is an essential book. Folley was there and has talked to all the main names in the build-up. £15/$30

CUSTOMER E-MAIL ADDRESS LIST

The last 6 months have seen the total of e-mail addresses on my records soar past the total of mailing addresses, now by about 30%. This brings closer the time when my newsletters may become entirely e-mail/website based. The cost savings from my point of view are considerable, but I don’t think time is now, or even this year. I know from many personal contacts that many customers prefer the mailed version, but more and more customers are saying to me that they prefer the e-mail version. (See also comments in the Introduction above).

FAREWELL TO

LORD ABERDARE: (Morys George Lyndhurst Bruce, the 4th Baron Aberdare, born 16th June 1919, died 23rd January 2005). Lord Aberdare was a brilliant racket sports player, taking up the legacy of high performance racket sports from his father. Morys Aberdare was Amateur Singles Champion at Real Tennis in 1953, 1954, 1956 & 1957, and runner-up in 1958, and he won the MCC Prizes in 1955/1958. He and his father, Clarence, reached the final of the British Amateur Doubles championships. Morys served as Minister of State for Health and Social Security in the House of Lords, and later became Chairman of Committees and Deputy Speaker. His last public appearance was at The Queen’s Club in October when he thoroughly enjoyed a lengthy tour of the major exhibition of Tennis and Rackets antiques, where many trophies on display were his own.

ALAN FAIRBAIRN: (died 7th March 2005 aged 82). Fairbairn was one of the great British squash players of the 1950’s. As well as being a winner of the (British) Amateur Championship in 1952 and 1953 and runner-up in 1954, all 3 finals being against Roy Wilson, Fairbairn was also a distinguished squash international, whose career spanned the seasons 1950/1956. He was a skilled cricketer having played for his county (Middlesex).

TENNIS BOOK PACKAGES: I can offer packages of books at discounted prices including UK delivery (ask re worldwide delivery) as follows:
003: “ATP Player Guides 1993 to 2005”: one complete run of ATP Player Guides from 1993 to 2005, 13 volumes in all at £60
004: “Wimbledon Annuals 1999 to 2004”: one complete run of Wimbledon Annuals 1999 to 2004, 6 volumes in all at £75

NEW & RECENTLY PUBLISHED TENNIS TITLES

005: “The Agassi Story” by Mike Agassi et al; 1st USA edition of 2004; 177 pages in hardboards and dust-jacket. This is a fairly personal story by Andre’s father who tells about how his son first picked up a tennis racket and the family struggles to launch him on the way to tennis stardom. Agassi also describes his early life in Iran as an aspiring boxer and the difficult period when the family moved to Las Vegas. £20/$35

006: “ATP/WTA Official Player Guide 2005”. The two associations have combined their player guide into one large paperback volume of some 800 pages. The formats have remained the same with lots of player biographies, results, ranking lists. etc. UK/Europe delivery at £25

007: “Bad News for McEnroe” by Bill Scanlon; 1st USA edition of 2004; 228 pages in hardboards and dust-jacket. Quite a frank and outspoken book by a man who clearly has no great liking for John McEnroe. It makes a good read about life on the Tour. £20/$35

008: “Boris Becker The Player” by Sorge et al; 1st UK edition of 2004; 306 pages in hardboards and dust-jacket. Despite the lack of photos (!), this is a very well researched study of the enigmatic German three-time Wimbledon champion, who is still entertaining the crowds in the Masters series of events, notably at the Royal Albert Hall, where he signed a dozen copies for me in December. Signed copies at £50/$90; unsigned at £15/$25

009: “Capital Tennis: A Memoir” by Allie Ritzenberg; 1st USA edition of 2004; 210 pages in hardboards and dust-jacket. Not perhaps a name which immediately springs to the mind of the average tennis fan, but there are several important parts to Allie and his many decades in tennis. I visited him in Washington many years ago to value his colossal tennis antiques collection. It was a real eye-opener, and now that collection has passed to the Hall of Fame for display. Allie also founded his own tennis club in Washington, coached and partnered Presidents, collected modern art, and represented his country at tennis many times in over-age groups all over the world. He is a fascinating man to know and read about. £20/$35

010: “From Whalebone to Lycra, a fashion journey through Midlands Lawn Tennis history” by Susan J. Elks; 2004; 82 pages in large format paperback. Chris Elks has a magnificent tennis collection and his wife has illustrated her lovely book with many photos of early tennis fashions and collectibles. The Midlands area of England was certainly the nursery of lawn tennis in England. This book is not available for sale.

011: “Gustavo Kuerten e Roland Garros” by Paulo Cleto; 1st Portuguese edition of 2002; 288 pages in very large format hardboards and dust-jacket, presented in card slip-case. This was a title which had passed me by, but here is my first copy of this magnificent tribute to Kuerten, who exploded onto the international tennis circuit a few years ago. This book concentrates on Kuerten’s performances at the French Open over the years including his wins in 1997, 2000, and 2001. It is a prodigious work by Cleto who splits the book into the years in which Kuerten competed. Full draws appear for each year and the book is illustrated with a huge quantity of full colour photographs. One copy only at present at £100/$185

012: “I’ve Got Your Back” by Brad Gilbert; 1st USA edition of 2004; 217 pages in hardboards and dust-jacket. The charismatic Gilbert, one-time coach to Andre Agassi, writes what is a mostly an autobiographical book interspersed with much good coaching advice. £15/$25

013: “Jimmy Connors Saved My Life” by Joel Drucker; 1st USA edition of 2004; 276 pages in hardboards and dust-jacket. A sort of joint biography as Joel charts the rise of Jimmy Connors and the way his career intertwined with Joel’s as a top USA tennis journalist. £20/$35

014: “Mr Nastase The Autobiography” by Debbie Beckerman; 1st UK edition of 2004; 384 pages in hardboards and dust-jacket. This has been a top-selling book for 9 months. It is great read about the colourful Ilie on and off the court. Signed copies at £20/$35; unsigned copies at £15/$25

015: “Nonsense at the Net: A Rags to Riches to Rags Story!” by Jim Westhall; published in the USA in late 2004; 350 pages in hardboards and dust-jacket. This is the fascinating story of the man who conceived and developed the Volvo International in Bretton Woods NH. Inaugurated in 1970 as a four day “hit and giggle” event with Laver, Emerson, Rosewall and Stolle, it became one of the most prestigious events in the USA. Jim pours his heart out over the good days and the bad days; his quite personal book is very well illustrated. £20/$35

016: “Tie-Break!” by Mark Ryan; 1st edition of 2004; 225 pages in hardboards and dust-jacket. This is the rather short life story of Belgium’s dynamic tennis player, Justine Henin-Hardenne. Her private and family life seem to be very complicated and not a little traumatic. But she continues to perform well on the tennis circuit and has as good a chance of winning at Wimbledon this year as half a dozen other women. £15/$28

017: “You Can Quote Me On That: Greatest Tennis Quips, Insights, and Zingers” by Paul Fein; 1st USA paperback edition of 2005; 272 pages. This is another of Fein’s very entertaining tennis titles, this one being a compendium of over 1700 stories, locker-room and press conference quotes, zingers (“put-downs” to the English) inside stories, unscripted asides, and all from tennis players, journalists, and hangers-on. £15/$25

BOOKS, PROGRAMMES etc. ABOUT WIMBLEDON

018: “Wimbledon Annual 2004” by Neil Harman; 160 pages in large format hardboards and dust-jacket. Neil’s first attempt at the annual continues the high standard set by the late John Parsons; his day by day reporting of the 2004 Championships is beautifully illustrated with many action colour photographs, and includes full draw-sheets for every event. The published price is £22; for a few months I can offer copies at £15/$25

019: “Wimbledon Facts, Figures & Fun” compiled by Cameron Brown; 2005; 96 pages in small format hardboards and dust-jacket. It seems like a distillation of the Wimbledon Compendium, but with the accent on the more amusing and unbelievable occurrences. There are the usual statistics about prize money, the All England Club, The Championships, the town of Wimbledon, all making for good “in the bath” reading! £6/$10

020: “Wimbledon Championships Wedgwood Bone China Plate 1994”. This magnificent plate was issued in an edition of just 250 examples. It measures 31cm in diameter and is highly decorative, as can be seen by visiting www.tennisbookshop.com It is in perfect condition. £100/$180

021: “Wimbledon 2005 Poster”. Unusually I can offer copies of the 2005 poster (41cm x 70cm). The image appears on all printed items for the Championships of 2005, including programmes and tickets. The poster will be delivered rolled into a postal tube. £5/$10

022: “100 Years of Wimbledon” (standard and de luxe editions) by Lance Tingay; 1st edition of 1977; 256 pages in large format hardboards and dust-jacket. This is the official history of the first 100 years of the Wimbledon Championships, which started in 1877. Tingay was the esteemed lawn tennis correspondent of The Daily Telegraph and the obvious candidate to write this splendid history. The history of the Championships is inexorably tied up with the history of the All England Club. All the major occurrences are described; additionally there are the last 8’s and last 16’s of the two singles events, plus player biographies of the champions. This offering contains the standard edition as described above, and a rare copy of the de luxe edition limited to just 100 numbered copies, bound in green leatherette boards externally gilt decorated with gilt page edges, internally marbled boards, and presented in a luxury marbled card slip-case. This is copy number 2, an exceptionally early number in the series, and it is inscribed and signed by Fred Perry. The two books together (in magnificent condition) are offered as one lot at £500/$950

See item 022

“Wimbledon Programmes Autographed”: These programmes are signed on the front covers. Some signatures have faded slightly.
023: “1948 10th day” signed by G. Mulloy, B. Hilton, F. Parker, J. Gannon, K. McGregor, L. Brough, J. Drobny, B. Falkenberg £30/$55
024: “1952 6th day” signed by Shirley Fry and Ken McGregor. £10/$18
025: “1952 12th day” signed by Fred Perry, Vic Seixas, Lewis Hoad, Ken Rosewall £20/$35

026: “Wimbledon Programme 6th July 1989”. This edition is a Royal Box programme with bookmark in club colours; it comes complete with Royal Box seating plan for the day, formal invitation from the All England Club and ticket for entrance to the grounds. £20/$35

WIMBLEDON FINAL EDITION PROGRAMMES: Here is the biggest unbroken run of Wimbledon Final Programmes that I have ever seen. The vast majority comes from the collection of a very long serving umpire. Thus they are over-stamped with a presentation message from the All England Club thanking him for his services. I know there is fierce competition for these items which are very collectable.

027: “Wimbledon Final Edition Programmes 1954 to 1995” with all results. One of each only for every year. Each is offered at £15/$30

028: “Rules for Lawn Tennis 1891” by E.L. Horsman; USA edition; 64 pages in very small format paperback. This is a delightful little catalogue for the range of sporting equipment marketed by the E.L. Horsman company of 341 Broadway, New York. Lawn Tennis is the prime sport covered, and there are pages of illustrations of racket models, tennis shoes, nets and posts etc. The booklet contains the rules of play, cases and decisions by James Dwight, and the Constitution and By-Laws of the United States National Lawn Tennis Association. Good condition slightly frayed. £150/$275

REAL/COURT TENNIS TITLES

“Le Jeu de Paume” by Chapus/Fournier; 1st French edition of 1862. I have heard of the possibility of an English translation of this magnificent French title. This would be a very welcome addition to the English language bibliography, as the Fournier (as it is generally known) is one of the most impressive Tennis books of the 19th century. Besides being a source on the game in France at that period, it is also illustrated with original photographs tipped onto the pages. It was published in two formats, a greater and a lesser edition. I have traded perhaps 4 copies in 18 years, so rare it is. I don’t suppose it will be with us in 2005, but to know it is planned is excellent news.

029: “Ballarat Tennis Club: 20th Anniversary 1984-2004” by Phil Roberts; 1st edition (Australia) of 2004; 84 pages in large format paperback. Back in stock again is this very friendly celebration of Ballarat’s first 20 years. There are lots of group photos of happy on-court occasions. £20/$35

030: “Fred Covey World Champion of Tennis” edited by Neil Covey; 1994; 125 pages in large format hardboards and dust-jacket. Neil has produced a book consisting of copies of press reports of the many great matches Fred played in the first 30 years of the 20th century. £25/$45

031: “Rules & Principles of Tennis” by Pierre Barcellon of 1800; this is the 1st de luxe English translation of 1987 in an edition of only 50 numbered copies, all signed by the translator Sir Richard Hamilton. The book is of 47 pages in small format hardboards and dust-jacket, internally marbled, with gilt page edges in leatherette boards. With a brief history, upto 1800, this book is a splendid and still recognisable coaching manual which explains the best way to play the game, the tactics to be used, the balls, the rackets, and how the professionals work. £125/$200

032: “Sticke Tennis” by Graham Tomkinson; 2004; 35 pages in paperback. The story of this little-known racket sport with elements of real tennis, lawn tennis, and rackets. It is only played now in England on 2 courts by a small group of enthusiasts. £15/$30

033: “Tennis, Rackets, and Other Ball Games” by Michael P. Garnett; 1st edition (Australia) of 1986; 136 pages in hardboards. Whilst heavily into racket sports in Australia, Garnett does branch out to deal with matters related mostly to (Real/Royal/Court) Tennis. He deals with court sizes, books on the games, history, and dates of major events related to the sports. It is a well illustrated book. (Previous owner’s inscription) £50/$90

034: “Tennis: The Development of the European Ball Game” by Roger Morgan; 1995; 259 pages in large format hardboards and dust-jacket. This might be described as a precursor to item 041 below in that it examines closely the way the various forms of jeu de paume emerged in Europe. There is much study of the definitions of the games and how they evolved into today’s (Real/Court) Tennis, Pelota, Longue Paume etc. £25/$45

035: “The Annals of Tennis” by Julian Marshall; 1st edition of 1878; 226 pages in large format highly decorative dark red boards. Here is the seminal work on Tennis from the 19th century, written by a great exponent and historical expert on Tennis. This is a landmark book, after the Lukin and before the Noel and Clark. Marshall writes a thorough history of the game and the laws, and then there is much excellent coaching advice. It is most commonly seen in green boards; in red boards as here, it is extremely uncommon. This copy is in very nice tight condition. £2500/$4500

036: “The House on Sport by Members of the London Stock Exchange” edited by W.A. Morgan; volume 1 of 1898 with 470 pages, volume 2 of 1899 with 280 pages; both volumes presented in bold red boards externally decorated in gilt and black. It is a very long time since I had the complete set of these marvellous books. The members of the London Stock Exchange took part in a wide variety of field and athletic sports and pursuits, each efficiently organised by a committee of colleagues. Each chapter is devoted to describing some of the history of the activity, there is much good coaching advice, and there are many photographs of leading Stock Exchange Members in action. The racket sports are well represented with chapters on Tennis (Real and Lawn) and Rackets. These volumes are in very good, bright condition and quite rare. £450/$850

037: “The Royal Melbourne Tennis Club 1881 to 1974” by Vernon Mussell; 2nd paperback edition of 2004; 52 pages. The 1st edition was in 1974, but it was such a popular book it has recently been reprinted in the same format. It very concisely describes the first RMTC courts and club-house, later demolished and rebuilt on its current magnificent site. The book has some nice early photographs. £20/$35

038: “The Royal Tennis Court: A History of Tennis at Hampton Court Palace” by David Best; 2002; 331 pages in large format hardboards and dust-jacket. For a period I can offer this book at a price lower than the usual list price, and I strongly recommend this opportunity to purchase a splendid book, which is an exhaustive Tennis history, beautifully illustrated. This is the standard edition at a special price of £25/$45

039: “The Royal Tennis Court: A History of Tennis at Hampton Court Palace”. This is the de luxe edition of 038 above, only 70 numbered copies. It is presented in hardboards & luxury slip-case, the book internally marbled with gilt page edges, and signed by the author. £300/$550

040: “Treatise on the Royal Game of Tennis” by de Manivieux; 1783 translated into English in 2004; 98 pages in large 8vo green leatherette boards; only 300 copies. Describing the state of Le Jeu de Paume in revolution France. Nearly sold out now. De luxe edition is imminent! £55/$100

041: “Tudor Tennis: A Miscellany” by Roger Morgan; 2001; 175 pages in large format hardboards and dust-jacket. This is a pleasant, well illustrated wander through Tudor times in England and Europe, visiting many of the sites where medieval tennis was played. £25/$45

SOME ODD AND UNUSUAL TENNIS VOLUMES

042: “Athletic Sports” in The Out of Door Library; 1st USA edition of 1897; 318 pages in small 8vo hardboards. This is series of essays on various sports including Golf, Lawn Tennis, Bicycling, Surfing, Country Club life etc, all written by great experts of the day. This is an East Coast book with the sports taking place mostly in the country clubs of Philadelphia. There are lots of photographs and drawings. £30/$50

043: “De Geschiedenis van 100 Jaar Tennis 1888-1988”; a centenary history of the Haagsche Lawn Tennis Club (The Hague) in the Netherlands; 186 pages in large format paperback. This is how club histories should be written. It deals with the development of the club through its first century, and it is very well illustrated with a huge number of photos of ordinary club members playing their game and getting awards. £30/$50

044: “Deck Sports: A Manual for Voyagers” by M.H. Feddersen; 1st USA edition of c1920; 144 pages in small format hardboards and dust-jacket. This little book describes a wide range of sports and games suitable to be played on board ocean liners. They include such pastimes as shuffleboard, deck quoits, deck golf, tennis, badminton, deck croquet, water polo, pillow-fight, physical jerks, & the crossing the line party. £25/$45

045: “Eesti nsv Tennis”; Estonian edition of 1949; 316 pages in paperback. This appear to be a tennis annual from Estonia and it is crammed full of match results, ranking lists, local town and city association reports, all illustrated with many photographs. A very unusual tennis book! £40/$75

046: “L’Art et le Tennis” from the Federation Francaise de Tennis”; 1992; 64 pages in large format paperback. This is a series of modernistic original images showing tennis by top French painters. Their style is very much in the style of the annual images on French Open posters. £25/$45

047: “Livre d’Or de la Federation Royale Belge de Lawn-Tennis 1902-1952”; 140 pages in large format (French) paperback. This is a prestigious celebration of the 50th anniversary of the F.R.B.L.T. There are many photographs of top Belgian players throughout the 50 years, histories of constituent areas, winners of all the Belgian tennis events and brief details of the major clubs in Belgium. Very good condition. £50/$90

048: “Madonna and the Student” by Isabel Neilson; 1st UK edition of 1925; 286 pages in hardboards. This is a novel about rivalry on the skiing slopes, and not at all about tennis. But on the inside page is an inscription as follows: “To Mrs Wills and Miss Helen Wills from a sincere admirer of both, Isabel Neilson 1926”. The internet has a copy in dust-jacket for about £250/$450. With the clear Helen Wills connection, this copy is £75/$135

049: “Making a Tennis Court” by George E. Walsh; 1st USA edition of 1912; 53 pages in small format hardboards. This book is a very early USA contribution to the very small bibliography of tennis court design and construction. Several types of court are discussed and illustrated. £75/$135

050: “A Sports Bestiary” by George Plimpton with drawings by Arnold Roth; 1st USA edition of 1982; 102 pages in large format hardboards and dust-jacket. Plimpton, whom I met once at Wimbledon, only died quite recently. He was an amusing writer and great sportsman. The book has a series of cartoon-like drawings of amazing, imaginary animals illustrating Plimpton’s short text describing colloquial sporting expressions, such as “The Clubhouse Turn”, “The Technical Fowl”, “The Kicking Tee” etc. This book should appeal to the all-round sportsman/woman. £25/$45

051: “Tennis and How To Play It” by Sol Metzger; very small paperback edition of 1930 by E. Ken Rackets; 32 pages in paperback. This tiny booklet is an advertising means for E. Kent Rackets of the USA. It lists the full rules of play, gives diagrams of the singles and doubles courts, illustrates 10 pages of Kent racket models for 1930, and then comes the coaching advice from Sol Metzger. It is a lovely little item. £25/$45

052: “Lawn Tennis and Badminton Magazines”; 4 odd copies for Jul 1948, Aug 1949, Aug 1950, Jul 1952. The 4 for £5/$10

053: “Roland Garros Magazines”; huge magazines for 1999, 2000, 2002, each of 194 pages with many tennis orientated articles. The 3 for £5/$10

UNUSUAL TENNIS EVENT PROGRAMMES

055: “Avenue LTC 18th Tournament 1930 and 1933”; finals day programmes for each year. Club is in Hampshire UK. Each at £10/$18

056: “Blackheath Open Lawn Tennis Tournament 1931” played at Blackheath in London. £10/$18

057: “Championnats Internationaux Officiels de Belgique 1930” at the Royal Leopold Club. £20/$35

058: “Colgate International Women’s Tournament 1979” signed by Martina Navratilova with her very rare full signature. Signed additionally
on their photos by Billie Jean King, Tracy Austin, Wendy Turnbull, and Kerry Reid (Melville). £50/$95

059: “Golden Racquet Tournament 1964”; Laver, Hoad, Rosewall, Gonzales play for the Duke of Edinburgh at Wembley. £10/$18

060: “Indoor Professional LT Tournament 1949” played at Wembley, London. Players were Kramer, Gonzales, Parker, and Segura. £10/$18

061: “Indoor Professional Tournament 1948” played at Nottingham, signed by Fred Perry, Dan Maskell, Yvon Petra, Mohamed Ali. £25/$50

062: “Inter-County Championships 1971”; played at Eastbourne’s Devonshire Park. £10/$18

063: “Inter-Services Lawn Tennis Championships 1961” played at the All England Club. £10/$18

064: “Lawn Tennis Championships of Egypt 1951”; very large programme. Drobny, von Cramm, Patty, Savitt in the draw. £15/$30

065: “Paddington Lawn Tennis Club 2nd Annual Tournament 1930”; finals day edition. £10/$18

066: “Royal Botanic Society 7th Annual Hard Court Tournament 1930”; semi-finals day edition. £10/$18

067: “Shooters Hill Tournament 1931”; fragile and rudimentary programme. £10/$18

068: “Tennis Illustrated Championship Souvenir Number June 15 1932”; 1930’s UK tennis magazine. £10/$18

069: “Tunbridge Wells Junior Tennis Tournament 1949”; played at the club’s Nevill Ground. £10/$18

070: “W.D. & H.O. Wills Covered Court GB Championships 1969”; winners were Rod Laver and Ann Jones. £10/$18

071: “Westoe Lawn Tennis Club 38th Annual Tournament 1932”; Westoe is in South Shields UK. £10/$18

072: “West Worthing 30th Open Tournament 1933”; played at the West Worthing Ground in West Sussex. £10/$18

073: “World’s Professional Championship Tennis 1955”; signed by Rex Hartwig and Pancho Segura. £25/$50

074: “World Tennis Stars Series of Matches 1939” played in Manchester and staring Budge, Tilden, Vines, and Stoefen. £25/$50

075: “Worthing 22nd Open Lawn Tennis Tournament 1925”; finals day edition of a very early English tennis event. £20/$35

WEBSITE ITEMS FOR AUCTION AT www.tennisbookshop.com FINISHES MIDDAY 31ST MAY

The following items are listed for auction and illustrated on www.tennisbookshop.com at the end of Newsletter 58. If you see something you like, send in a bid at or above the reserve, by phone, FAX, letter, or e-mail. Photographs and details of some of the items can be seen in Robert Everitt’s splendid book “Racket Sports Collectibles”. Copies of this vital book for tennis collectors are available from The Tennis Bookshop at £55/$100

076: “Jaroslav Drobny’s Hall of Fame Enshrinement Certificate” dated July 10 1993. This magnificent and very impressive certificate is beautifully mounted/matted and enclosed in a heavy glazed frame. The external measurements of the frame are 61cm x 78cm. Drobny was a very popular Wimbledon champion in 1954 and lived out most of his life near the All England Club. He was last seen on Centre Court in 2000 for the Parade of Champions and received as big a cheer as any other of the surviving champions. The reserve price is £250/$475

077: “Lawn-Tennis”; 1st USA edition of 1886; 94 pages in small format hardboards AND “Practical Lawn Tennis”; 1st USA edition of 1893; 168 pages in small format hardboards, and both written by James Dwight. These are the first two books on lawn tennis written in the USA by an American author and top player. Both titles are in excellent condition and they are offered together. The reserve price is £750/$1400

See items 077 & 078

078: “Lawn Tennis” by H.W.W. Wilberforce; 1st USA edition of 1889; 77 pages in small format hardboards beautifully decorated externally. It is a reprint of the very popular English edition of 1889 and it is the earliest mass produced tennis coaching manual. The reserve price is £500/$950

079: “Matching pair of early glazed white porcelain tennis players”, c1900, probably French or German. Each measures 12.5cm high and appears undamaged save for the man, the tip of whose right thumb is missing. (Everitt page 241) The reserve price is £100/$180

See item 079

See item 080

080: “New Hall pottery cup and saucer c1845”. This is an exceptional racket sports item being a tea-cup and saucer from around 1845 showing a woman and a young child, each holding a racket, the child also holding a shuttlecock. The cup measures 8.5cm wide and 5cm high. The saucer measures 14cm wide and 2.5cm high. Both are in excellent condition without cracks or chips. (Everitt page 232) The reserve price is £100/$180

081: “Tennis dress designed by Ted Tinling” c1965. This tennis dress was formerly the property of and worn by a Wimbledon Ladies’ finalist, for whom this dress was exclusively designed and made. The Tinling label is stitched inside the dress, which is in excellent condition. I have two other Ted Tinling dresses from the same source, both with his label inside. The reserve price for this dress is £100/$180

082: “Double racket press & 2 matching rackets” c1920. The 2-racket press is quite unusual and this one is in very good condition with all 4 nuts to the screws being present. There are no maker’s marks to the press. The two rackets are marked “Champion” and they are in very good condition; the stringing, whilst not original, is certainly close to the date of manufacture. (Everitt page 205) The reserve price is £100/$180

083: “Tennis scene jig-saw puzzle of 750 pieces in original box” c1980. This is a bizarre scene of what appears to be a tennis nightmare. The box is complete if a little battered, and as far as I know all 750 pieces are present. The reserve price is £30/$55

084: “Tennis and Golf Desk Ink-Wells”; these are very attractive and well-made reproductions of Victorian desk pieces. They measure about 12.5cm from side to side and 11cm high. Both are in perfect condition and are available singly. The reserve price for each one is £50/$90

TO ORDER ANY OF THE ABOVE BOOKS,
PLEASE USE OUR CONTACT FORM

Click here to read previous newsletters