Bracelets Pins and Brooches Earrings Necklaces, Pendants, Charms and Chokers Tableware and Silver Items Gift Ware - Specialty Items Posters - Note Cards Close-Out Sales Jaeger Gemtique Collection		The Racket Collection The Racket Collection includes over three thousand original rackets which document the evolution of tennis rackets, from the earliest days to modern times. For additional reading on the evolution of tennis, its equipment, and collecting, several outstanding books are available in our Tennis Heritage Shop. Tennis: A Cultural History by Dr. Heiner Gillmeister Tennis Rackets by Siegfried Kuebler Tennis Antiques & Collectibles by Jeanne Cherry Some nine centuries ago a ball game known as Jeu de Paume was played in France, using the palm (paume) to strike the ball "to and fro". As the game matured, a glove-like covering was used to protect the hand, and eventually wood bats known as battoirs were developed. By the 16th century the strung racket had been devised, and though there were many different shapes and stringing methods, the strung racket became standard equipment for the game of Court Tennis. After Lawn Tennis became formalized in the early 1870s, the racket went through a series of distinct evolutionary stages as outlined below. Each section features a series of classic rackets representing the genre. Early and Asymmetrical Rackets This is an especially fascinating and well-developed section within the Collection, featuring several uniquely rare rackets. Early strung rackets for the ancient game of Court Tennis were generally smaller in size. The Collection includes a very interesting example with elaborate carving and string pattern dating back over 200 years. By the mid-1700s the rackets were full-sized with leather wrapped grips and lobbed, asymmetrical heads, as shown in engraving in the exhibit, from two French Encyclopedie (1762). This design enabled the racket head to reach closer to the floor to get the low bouncing balls, as well as for scooping the ball out of the corners. This design still perseveres in modern day Court Tennis. The "Tilt-Top" rackets became the popular choice in the early days of Lawn Tennis in the 1870s. The Collection is fortunate to have many outstanding examples of early rackets, including the only known example of the Henry V model lawn tennis racket, and a stunning inlaid tilt-top probably owned by Royalty. Courtesy of Rolf Jaeger Courtesy of Rolf Jaeger Courtesy of Rolf Jaeger c.1790 Court Tennis Racket 1880s Extreme Lob Racket BROUAYE 1860 Prize Racket Courtesy of Rolf Jaeger Courtesy of Rolf Jaeger Courtesy of Rolf Jaeger "ROYALTY" inlay 1875 Feltham "HENRY V" 1878 Wright & Ditson "THE CLUB" 1887 Courtesy of Rolf Jaeger Courtesy of submit Courtesy of Rolf Jaeger Wright & Ditson "SPECIAL" 1878 Horsman Inlaid tilt-top "Alah en Misterie" 1870s View Latest Additions Flat Tops and 1880s Rackets By the early 1880s the asymmetrical "Tilt-Top" rackets had generally fallen out of favor, superseded by the so-called "Flat Top" racket, which had a pronounced level flat top of the head, and a concave throat piece (i.e. curved towards the handle). An original 1886 charcoal still life provides graphic evidence of this design. The Collection includes some classic examples from this early era. Courtesy of Rolf Jaeger Courtesy of submit Courtesy of submit Courtesy of Rolf Jaeger Ayres, 1885 twin laminated Flat Top Windermere Cork Handle Bliss Ashby Racket West End Cork Handle Courtesy of submit Courtesy of submit Courtesy of submit Courtesy of Rolf Jaeger The Shattuck model flat top Wright & Ditson thin handle, convex Square Head flat top racket Bussey "The Olympic"   Courtesy of submit Courtesy of submit     Flat top with double collar The Bussey Fishtail flat top

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By 1890 the extreme flat top design had relaxed somewhat, resulting in the so-called "Transitional Flat Top" racket, with slightly curved shape at the top. The throat pieces in this era were usually convex, i.e. curved towards the racket top. The Collection includes some fine examples from this period:

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This is an especially fascinating section, demonstrating the continual ingenuity of racket makers. The Collection includes some fine early rackets with unusual handles and stringing patterns.

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Racket technology continued to evolve into the new century. The head shapes varied considerably, gradually becoming more oval. Throat pieces were usually convex, but the concave throat piece began a comeback, and was laminated instead of the older solid wedge. Reinforcing tape was sometimes applied to the lower "shoulders" of the racket head. Classic rackets in this section include:

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Rackets of the 1920s-1930s

Racket makers continued to experiment with construction techniques into the 1920s and '30s, with several major innovations: the open throat, the split handle, the Dayton Steel racket, strung with piano wire, and the Hazell's Streamline, with its unique aerodynamic 3 pronged handle. Racket heads were generally oval in shape, with concave throat pieces. Classic example of rackets from this era include:

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Tennis Racquet String

Lamb and sheep gut (never "cat gut") were the materials used for stringing tennis racquets during the early days of tennis in the United States. Later, because of its abundant supply, beef gut was introduced as well as silk (the cost of silk was 1/6th that of gut). Two of the leading brands of silk were 'Sunsheen' (San Francisco and Oakland), and Victor 'Stay-Tite' (Chicago). Silk, even though it was spun in the United States, was frequently advertised as 'Oriental Gut'.

Companies producing quality gut were Wilson Meat Packing Company (later Wilson Sporting Goods Company), and 'Armour Meat Packing Company' with their 'Super Special' brand. Johnson and Johnson Corporation marketed their outstanding 'Chrome-Twist' gut until the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 forced them to cease tennis string production and concentrate on their medical suture business.

Victor Sports, of Chicago, with Carl and Arhur Bjorkmann at its helm, made numerous brands of gut: 'Verifast-Tournament', 'Imperial', 'Royal', 'Commander', 'Superb', and 'Renown'.

'Riviera' and 'Patrician', long-time favorite gut among tennis players, were made by American Gut String Corporation.

'Blue Streak' was made by E.P. Junemon Corporation, led by Edwin P. Junemon and son Jim. The Kendall Company bought both the American Gut String and E.P. Junemon. Later Garcia acquired these merged companies.

Garcia Corporation, led by Mr. Walter Montenegro, was another American gut maker. When they ceased their Chicago manufacturing operation, Victor acquired the equipment.

Other company names associated with gut and American tennis were 'Hughes' of Australia, 'Weddell' of England, 'Howmedica' of Strasbourg, France, and 'Klipspringer' of Melbourne, Australia.

The Australian Division of American Cyanamid Company (former Davis & Geck, Inc.) manufactured 'Titan' Australian Gut String from New Zealand. Pacific Natural Gut String Co. made 'Tournament Pro' made 'Supreme'.

At the height of the tennis boom, during the early 1970's, the Lyons, France-based 'Babolat', 'Maillot' and 'Witt' made their successful entry into the American gut market, quickly acquiring an important share with their VS, AFV, and 'Africord' brands. As the millennium arrived, they dominated the considerably shrunken gut market

Johnson and Johnson made a stab at re-entering the tennis game with a rough (Ruff Gut) gut they produced during the late seventies. Unfortunately, the stringers hated it.

Bow Brand, of Great Britain, is another name long synonymous with quality gut. Gathier Company, for many years directed by Mr.Peter Maxton, produced and marketed 'Bow'.

Probably the last American gut manufacturer was the U.S. Tennis Gut Company, owned by Messrs. Pat Janis, Jerry Salsky (former President of Garcia Corp.), and Len Bordinaro (also formerly of Garcia). The gut was spun and machined in Oak Park, Illinois. Its success was limited and it quietly disappeared. Victor acquired the equipment.

One other point: during the heyday of tennis, when gut was in very short supply, a very low-quality gut was brought in from Pakistan. Needless to say, it wasn't around very long.

Fred Perry lent his name to a gut but without major acceptance, and Dunlop gut appeared and vanished almost as rapidly.

Prince Mfg. Corp., whose original proclamation: "DO NOT USE GUT IN OUR RACQUETS", probably did more to destroy the viability of the gut industry in this country than any other factor, even tried to sell a natural gut in the late eighties under their own brand name, but quickly withdrew.

After World War II, E.I. DuPont de Nemours Corp. seriously introduced their revolutionary invention, mono-filament nylon, to the sport. It was an instant success because of its extremely low cost (compared to natural gut). It impelled other producers of this miracle material to jump on the bandwagon.

Gosen of Japan, partially owned by a forward-looking American Entrepreneur, Mr. Ed Alexander was the first, quickly to be followed by many others.

Ashaway Line and Twine Company, of Rhode Island, a 175 year old line maker, entered the tennis string market in 1950, and in 1977, produced the first Kevlar string.

Today, the synthetic tennis string industry is alive with a vast array of materials and windings, many incorporating improvements over each preceding generation.

Names associated with synthetics, in addition to the racquet makers, who market synthetics under their own labels, are Maxima-Erhard, Alpha, Gamma, Winn, Blue Star-Kleinopfer, Tecnifibre, Forten, TOA Gosen, Sufix (YAO I) and others.

Our special thanks to Mr. Ed Alexander, of Laguna Beach and Mr. Glenn Bjorkmann, of Chicago, who have helped clear up a few salient points in respect to this string information.

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