Prosser Fishtail Tennis Racket
Prosser Fishtail Tennis Racket
Vintage Fish Tail Lawn Tennis Racket.
A fine example of a wooden framed lawn tennis racket made by T.H. Prosser & Sons. The racket has a nice clean ash frame with a walnut convex wedge embossed in gilt with 'Gale Barnstaple, T.H. Prosser & Sons'. It has a good straight frame with a nice shaped fishtail handle, the handle with a deep central groove and with lined grooves for extra grip. Handle is also scratched with owners initials 'N.W.R'.
T.H. Prosser & Sons of 198 & 200 Pentonville Road, London, were established in 1857. Originally manufacturers of real tennis racquets before making lawn tennis rackets and presses.
An advert stated T.H. Prosser & Sons were 'Manufacturers of racquet and lawn tennis bats and balls, cricket and footballs etc.'. In 1891 they listed the following rackets 'Springlight', 'Dorothy' & 'Ivanhoe'.
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 1905
Ash
England
Very good, with later stringing.
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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}