Antique Fishtail Tennis Racket
Antique Fishtail Tennis Racket
29357
Antique Fishtail Lawn Tennis Racket, Champion.
A fine quality 'Champion' fishtail lawn tennis racket retailed by Wills & Co., Oldham. The racket has a convex wedge stamped ' Champion, Wills & Co., 29 Yorkshire St., Oldham', the ash frame in very good condition, two central double main strings, white gut strings and two rows of red trebling to the top and three to the bottom. Handle has a nice shaped fish tail grip, a good tennis racquet in great condition.
There is an image of an old Wills & Co. catalogue stating they are 'The Lancashire Sports Depot, Oldham', their famous footballs are kicked all over the kingdom and a free catalogue of Winter Sports Requisites with two hundred illustrations was available.
The fishtail (fish tail) was an innovation in the Victorian period and was an attractive gimmick to help tennis players to grip their rackets. They were manufactured approximately from the 1890's to the 1920's and their shapely handle is always an attraction to the collector.
Dimensions:
1900-1949
Circa 1900
Ash
United Kingdom
Replaced period gut stringing, ash frame in great shape, no warping.
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 was an innovation in the Victorian period and was an attractive gimmick to help tennis players to grip their rackets. They were manufactured approximately from the 1890's to the 1920's and their shapely handle is always an attraction to the collector.){kind=link}