A destrung Wright & Ditson 'Columbia' tennis racquet, with: composite convex throat; bevelled crown; and, fine-grooved handle. Model name features across throat on obverse. WRIGHT & DITSON MAKERS/U.S.A. features along right side of shaft. Wright & Ditson 'tennis player on ball' trademark features across throat on reverse. Materials: Wood, Metal, Lacquer, Glue, Ink, Leathertennis

A Wright & Ditson 'Columbia' tennis racquet, with: composite convex throat; bevelled crown; and, fine-grooved handle. Model name features across throat on obverse. WRIGHT & DITSON MAKERS/U.S.A. features along right side of shaft. Wright & Ditson Championship 'tennis player on ball' trademark features across throat on reverse. Materials: Wood, Metal, Lacquer, Glue, Ink, Leather, Guttennis

A Wilson Comet tennis racquet. Wilson logo features across base of head. Model name within a shield device features on the throat. 'W' trademark features on the shaft and cloth butt cover. Leather handle grip features handwritten name: LINDA DEANNE METTLING. Materials: Wood, Nylon, Leather, Adhesive tape, Paint, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Ink, Ribbon, Clothtennis

A Wilson Famous Player Series, Bobby Riggs Finalist tennis racquet. Base of head features Wilson logo. Throat features the 'W' trademark with an interwoven banner device. Shaft features decal head and neck illustration of Riggs. Leather handle grip features quatrefoil perforations. Materials: Wood, Nylon, Paint, Leather, Adhesive tape, Plastic, String, Glue, Metal, Lacquertennis

A Wilson Billie Jean King Autograph tennis racquet. Base of head features Wilson logo. Throat features model name and heraldic shield with 'B/K' in centre. Base of shaft and butt cap feature 'W' trademark. Autograph by King features along throat on obverse. Materials: Wood, Nylon, Leather, Glue, Metal, Lacquer, Paint, Adhesive tape, Plastic, Ribbon, Hidetennis

A Wilson Billie Jean King Autograph tennis racquet. Base of head features Wilson logo. Throat features model name and heraldic shield with 'B/K' in centre. Base of shaft and butt cap feature 'W' trademark. Autograph by King features along shaft on reverse. Materials: Wood, Nylon, Leather, Glue, Metal, Lacquer, Paint, Adhesive tape, Plastic, Ribbon, Hidetennis

A Wilson Andrea Jaeger Courtstar tennis racquet. Base of head features Wilson logo. Throat features model emblem - a blue crown. Shaft features model name. Lower shaft and butt cap feature 'W' trademark. Leather handle grip features X-form perforations. Materials: Wood, Nylon, Leather, Glue, Metal, Lacquer, Paint, Adhesive tape, Ribbon, Plastictennis

A Wilson Stan Smith Tournament tennis racquet. Base of head features Wilson logo.Throat and shaft feature the model name, with a gold and white chevron device within a circle. Lower shaft and butt cap feature 'W' trademark. Leather handle grip features triangular-patterned perforations. Materials: Wood, Nylon, Leather, Glue, Metal, Lacquer, Paint, Ribbon, Plastic, Adhesive tapetennis

A Wilson Stan Smith Autograph tennis racquet. Base of head features Wilson logo, flanked by two pairs of brown diamond devices. Throat features model name, with a black and red silhouette of Smith in action. Lower shaft and butt cap feature 'W' trademark. Materials: Wood, Nylon, Leather, Glue, Metal, Lacquer, Paint, Adhesive tape, Ribbon, Plastic, Fibreglasstennis

A Wilson Jimmy Connors Professional Champ tennis racquet. Base of head features Wilson logo. Throat and shaft features model name, with a red and black stylised column device. Lower shaft and butt cap feature 'W' trademark. Leather handle grip features patterned perforations. Materials: Wood, Nylon, Leather, Glue, Metal, Lacquer, Paint, Adhesive tape, Ribbon, Plastictennis

A Regent, Don Budge Contender, Tournament Model tennis racquet. Regent logo features across the crown, and base of the head. Model name features on the throat and shaft. Decal head image of Budge features on lower shaft. Leather handle grip features quatrefoil perforations. Materials: Wood, Nylon, String, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Paint, Leather, Ribbon, Ink, Adhesive tape, Plastictennis

A Regent, Flight II tennis racquet. Regent logo features across the base of the head. Model name featuresalong the shaft. 'R' trademark features at base of shaft. Model details feature on the right side of the shaft. Leather handle grip features X-formation perforations. Materials: Wood, Nylon, String, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Paint, Ribbon, Ink, Plastic, Adhesive tape, Leathertennis

A Regent Triumph tennis racquet. Regent logo features across the base of the head and plastic butt cap. Model name features across the throat. 'R' trademark features at base of shaft. Model details feature on the left side of the shaft. Leather handle grip features quatrefoil perforations. Materials: Wood, Nylon, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Ink, Plastic, Adhesive tape, Leathertennis

A wooden tennis racquet with parchment shoulder reinforcements (around underside), black and red whipping, and a bald handle. Partially legible inscription along throat on obverse: THE/W[INNER] . Inscription across throat, on reverse: F.J. BANCROFT/PAWTUCKET/R.I. Manufacturing details also feature along left side of shaft. Materials: Wood, Gut, Leather, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Ink, String, Parchmenttennis

A Bancroft Wimbledon tennis racquet, with plastic whipping from shoulders to shaft, and leather handle with patterned perforations. Bancroft logo features across base of head. Throat features model name, and a decal image of Wimbledon main court. 'B' trademark features on lower shaft. Materials: Wood, Nylon, Leather, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Ink, Plastic, Cloth, Adhesive tape, Paint, Stringtennis

A Bancroft real tennis racquet, with traditional gut stringing, lobbed head, solid convex throat, double screwed shaft (dowels), and long, fine grooved handle. Bancroft logo, and wreathed black 'B' trademark feature across the throat. The inside of the base of the head is reinforced with hide. The throat is reinforced with white painted fibreglass. Materials: Wood, Glue, Lacquer, Ink, Hide, Fibreglass, Guttennis

A Slazenger 'SFS-100' metal tennis racquet, with double shaft, yellow plastic Slazenger-branded shaft casing; and handle wrapped in black perforated leather. Black plastic butt cap has adhesive paper label featuring manufacturer name & logo. Model name appears on shaft pillar. Materials: Metal, Adhesive tape, Plastic, Leather, Adhesive label, Nylon, Stringtennis

An Add In 'Wilshire T-2100' metal tennis racquet, with double shaft, metal throat & shaft bridges; black shaft casing; and handle wrapped in black perforated vinyl. Has a plastic butt cap with adhesive label featuring manufacturer's name & logo. Model name on decal on left edge of shaft. Materials: Metal, Adhesive tape, Plastic, Vinyl, Adhesive label, Nylontennis

An F.H. Ayres transitional flat-top tennis racquet, with solid, convex throat, fine-grooved handle; and leather end wrap and butt cover. Hand carved monograms: on obverse, CAM; and, on reverse GHC. Manufacturer's logo impressed along sides of shaft, on obverse. Racquet is housed within a Badminton set (TA 2009.287). Materials: Wood, Metal, Lacquer, Glue, Gut, Leathertennis

An e.21st century digital print on canvas, of an original e.20th century black and white photographic print. Image features two male youths holding a tennis racquet each, posing in a photo studio, in front of an exotic backdrop. A tennis court net acting as a studio prop, seperates the two youths. Materials: Canvas/Cotton, Ink, Wood, Metal, Paper, Paint, Linentennis

A transitional flat top tennis racquet with a convex throat. Inscription across throat on obverse: ECLIPSE/TRADE MARK/HORSMAN/N.Y. Across the top of the head is a partly illegible inscription, which may spell 'SPECIAL'. Across the length of the side of the stem is the inscription: ORIENTAL/GUT. Ornamentally latticed cuts into the handle around all sides act as the grip. Materials: Wood, Gut, Metal, Lacquer, Leather, Stringtennis

'Slazengers' brand, 'Player' model wood tennis racquet. Flat or tilt top head. Leather taped grip. Black cloth tape wrapped around throat. Peeling green and white paint on throat and shaft. Purchased for $5 from Wagga Antique Centre, Fitzmaurice St, Wagga. Purchase date unknown, but probably between 1990 and 2005. Materials: Wood, Gut, Paint, Leather, Cloth tapetennis

An R.M. Co. (or M.R. Co.) West End flat top tennis racquet, with solid concave throat, and fine-grooved handle. Manufacturer and model details on throat on obverse, and seem to be a very early use of decal and laminated framing. Impressed inscription: ORIENTAL GUT, along right side of shaft implies silk was used for racquet strings. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Silk, Inktennis

An Horace Partridge Co., Wimbledon, American Tate Expert tennis racquet, with string whipping and hide reinforcements around shoulders, open throat, and fine-grooved octagonal handle. Decal of model name features across the lower head on obverse and reverse; decal of manufacturer, with partridge and rising sun trademark, across shaft on reverse. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Ink, Leather, Gut, String, Clothtennis

An Ellsworth Vines Blue Ace tennis racquet. Decal head and neck image of Vines features on throat. Racquet features perforated leather handle grip. Inscription along left side of stem: WILSON SPORTING GOODS CO./MADE IN U.S.A. Scratched name, 'FRANK' features along stem on obverse. Materials: Wood, Plastic, Ink, Leather, Metal, Glue, Lacquer, Paint, Adhesive tapetennis

A Wilson Famous Player Series, Don Budge Super Stroke tennis racquet. Shaft features a decal head and neck illustration of Budge. Base of head features Wilson logo in banner device behind 'W' trademark. Leather handle grip features four-leaf clover perforations. Materials: Wood, Nylon, Leather, Adhesive tape, Ink, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Plastic, Paint, Stringtennis

A Rawlings, John Newcombe Finalist tennis racquet, with ribbon whipping on shoulders and shaft, and leather handle grip with triangle-patterned perforations. Rawlings logo features across crown, and base of head. Model name features across throat. Cursive 'R' trademark features on lower shaft and in sunken butt cap. Materials: Wood, Nylon, Ink, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Plastic, Adhesive tape, Leather, Ribbontennis

A Rawlings, Brian Fairlie Signature tennis racquet, with string whipping on shoulders, and leather handle grip with quatrefoil perforations. Rawlings logo features across base of head. Model name features along the shaft. Cursive 'R' trademark features on lower shaft (along with 'Mark of a Pro' motto), and in sunken butt cap. Materials: Wood, Nylon, Ink, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Plastic, Leather, Ribbon, Enameltennis

A Cortland President tennis racquet, with string whipping on shoulders, and leather handle grip with quatrefoil perforations. Base of head on obverse features Courtland logo, and on reverse, the model name. Throat features decal of Courtland trademark, featuring stylised image of male playing tennis within a red triangle device. Materials: Wood, Nylon, Adhesive tape, Leather, Cloth, Ink, String, Glue, Lacquer, Metaltennis

A Garcia International GT-77 tennis racquet, with string whipping around shoulders and shaft, and vinyl handle featuring X-formation perforations. Company logo features across base of head. Model name features along shaft. Garcia 'G' trademark features on lower shaft and plastic butt cap. Materials: Wood, Nylon, Vinyl, Plastic, Ink, Adhesive tape, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Painttennis