Antique Multible Tennis Racket Press
Antique Multible Tennis Racket Press
31836
Vintage Multiple Club Tennis Racket Press.
Early 20th-century multiple lawn tennis racket press of Tunmer patent type. This impressive adjustable racket press is designed to hold up to sixteen lawn tennis rackets and features a tennis ball rack beneath. Constructed in oak, it remains in very good condition with an attractive colour and patina developed through years of use.
The rackets are stored between shaped wooden dividers and compressed using the cast-iron flywheel mechanism, helping to maintain their shape and prevent warping. The sliding compression block, which houses the wheel mechanism, is fitted with locating holes that correspond with a series of drilled holes in the steel guide bar. This allows the block to be repositioned according to the number of rackets being stored.
Its size and capacity suggest that it was originally intended for use in a tennis club, country house, school, or other institutional setting. Although unbranded, it is believed to be of Alfred Adrien Tunmer design. Surviving examples of the Tunmer patent press were manufactured by F.H. Ayres Ltd., London, under Patent No. 16,439 of 1907.
On the rear of the press are the remains of a paper trade label, possibly from a sporting goods retailer or manufacturer. Visible fragments include the words or letters "WHIT…..DO", "ngton", "ctu", "Footba", and "of e", together with part of a tennis racket head showing the stringing pattern. Unfortunately, insufficient survives to permit a positive identification of the retailer or maker.
The dimensions given exclude the cast-iron flywheel handle, which projects approximately 15 cm beyond the body of the press when fully tightened.
The base incorporating the tennis ball rack is a later addition, but it complements the press well and transforms it into an attractive free-standing piece of period tennis equipment. The base can easily be removed and dismantles for transport.
A.A. Tunmer & Co. was founded by the Englishman Alfred Adrien Tunmer (born Southampton, 4 January 1876), who opened a sporting goods store on Rue du 4 Septembre, Paris, in 1898.
Dimensions:
1900-1949
Circa 1910
Oak
United Kingdom
Very good restored condition. Base is a later addition.
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![](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://sportantiques.co.uk/tennis-and-racquet-sports/general-2/antique-multible-tennis-racket-press&media=https://seek-unique-co.s3.amazonaws.com/sportantiques-64hFGwj3-uEHU73t22/stock/6a44f93ad3c6b_3_31836.jpg&description=Vintage Multiple Club Tennis Racket Press.Early 20th-century multiple lawn tennis racket press of Tunmer patent type. This impressive adjustable racket press is designed to hold up to sixteen lawn tennis rackets and features a tennis ball rack beneath. Constructed in oak, it remains in very good condition with an attractive colour and patina developed through years of use.The rackets are stored between shaped wooden dividers and compressed using the cast-iron flywheel mechanism, helping to maintain their shape and prevent warping. The sliding compression block, which houses the wheel mechanism, is fitted with locating holes that correspond with a series of drilled holes in the steel guide bar. This allows the block to be repositioned according to the number of rackets being stored.Its size and capacity suggest that it was originally intended for use in a tennis club, country house, school, or other institutional setting. Although unbranded, it is believed to be of Alfred Adrien Tunmer design. Surviving examples of the Tunmer patent press were manufactured by F.H. Ayres Ltd., London, under Patent No. 16,439 of 1907.On the rear of the press are the remains of a paper trade label, possibly from a sporting goods retailer or manufacturer. Visible fragments include the words or letters "WHIT…..DO", "ngton", "ctu", "Footba", and "of e", together with part of a tennis racket head showing the stringing pattern. Unfortunately, insufficient survives to permit a positive identification of the retailer or maker.The dimensions given exclude the cast-iron flywheel handle, which projects approximately 15 cm beyond the body of the press when fully tightened.The base incorporating the tennis ball rack is a later addition, but it complements the press well and transforms it into an attractive free-standing piece of period tennis equipment. The base can easily be removed and dismantles for transport.A.A. Tunmer & Co. was founded by the Englishman Alfred Adrien Tunmer (born Southampton, 4 January 1876), who opened a sporting goods store on Rue du 4 Septembre, Paris, in 1898.){kind=link}