A Dayton Pilot tennis racquet, with a steel head and throat, and, wooden shaft and deep-grooved handle. Racquet strings made from piano wire. Racquet head stringing continues through into the fully opened throat. Decals of maker and model, with patents, feature on front, and right side of shaft. Materials: Wood, Metal, Glue, Lacquer, Paint, Leather, Ink, Cordtennis

A Dayton tennis racquet, with a steel head, and small, open throat, and, wooden shaft and deep-grooved handle. Racquet strings made from piano wire. Wooden section repainted red, with a synthetic handle grip wrapped around the lower handle. Materials: Wood, Metal, Glue, Lacquer, String, Paint, Synthetic materialtennis

A Dayton steel upper, wood lower, tennis racquet, with open throat, piano wire racquet strings, cloth string whipping around shoulders, and leather handle grip with large floral perforations. Materials: Metal, Glue, Lacquer, Paint, Leather, Ink, Cloth, Stringtennis

A Dayton-built, Wilson Indestructo, wholly metallic tennis racquet, with a wood or cork fibre handle grip wrapped around lower shaft. Strung with piano wire along and across head and open throat. Model and manufacturing details engraved into underside of butt cap. Materials: Metal, Glue, Paint, String, Cord, Wood fibretennis

A John Wanamaker Germantown tennis racquet, with laminated convex throat, and octagonal fine-grooved handle. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Gut, Ink, Painttennis

A John Wanamaker Wissahickon transitional flat top tennis racquet, with solid convex throat, and slender fine-grooved handle. Stringing made from 'Oriental' gut, suggesting it is silk. Burnt into the throat on reverse is the letter 'F'. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Leather, Silk, Ink, Painttennis

A John Wanamaker Belmont flat top tennis racquet, with solid concave throat, and plain, slender handle. Hand etched inscription across throat and shaft on obverse: W.J. POWNALL, NEWTON/P.A./1896 ASBURY...DEL VILLA. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Leather, Gut, Inktennis

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 R.M. Co. (or M.R. Co.) West End flat top tennis racquet, with solid concave throat, and rare inlaid cork handle. Manufacturer and model details, in and around the image of a tennis racquet, feature on throat on obverse, and is a very early use of decal. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Gut, Ink, Corktennis

An Andersons Match wooden tennis racquet, with concave throat, cloth tape reinforcements around shoulders, and a fish-tailed handle butt. Impressed model name across throat on obverse. Decal of manufacturers trademark across throat on reverse. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Gut, Ink, Cloth tapetennis

An Andersons All England tilt-top tennis racquet, with solid convex throat, and long, slender, fine-grooved handle. Racquet originally featured leather collar around shaft. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Gut, Leathertennis

A Feltham 'The Alexandra' tilt-top tennis racquet, with solid convex throat, whipping around shoulders, a slither of wood lamination beyween the throat and outer frame, and a plain handle. Company name and trademark impressed across throat on obverse. Model name impressed across crown. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Guttennis

A Feltham 'The Alexandra' flat-top tennis racquet, with solid convex throat, a slither of wood lamination between the throat and outer frame, and a fine-grooved, rounded handle. Company name and trademark impressed across throat on obverse. Model name impressed across crown. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Gut, Leathertennis

An Eureka wooden tennis racquet, with concave throat, string whipping around shoulders, and thick, fine-grooved handle. Handle area is hand painted white and red, and painted across the the butt are the initials: B.A.R. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Nylon, Leather, String, Ink, Painttennis

An Eureka Marathon wooden tennis racquet, with concave throat, string whipping around shoulders, and fine-grooved handle. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Gut, Leather, String, Inktennis

An F.A. Davis wooden tennis racquet, with solid convex throat, cloth tape shoulder reinforcements, and fine-grooved handle with fantail butt. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Gut, Ink, Cloth tapetennis

An F.A. Davis wooden tennis racquet, with laminated concave throat, cloth tape shoulder reinforcements with string whipping, and fine-grooved handle with fantail butt. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Gut, Ink, Cloth tape, Stringtennis

A 'Tether' wooden tennis racquet, with laminated convex throat, and fine-grooved handle. Manufacturer's trademark of a five-pointed star mounted above a wreath-framed crown features on the throat on obverse. The model name features across the crown of the racquet head. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Gut, Ink, Leathertennis

A 'Tether' (?) wooden tennis racquet, with laminated convex throat, and fine-grooved handle. Manufacturer's trademark of a five-pointed star mounted above a wreath-framed crown features on the throat on obverse. The model name features across the crown of the racquet head, but is indecipherable due to wear. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Gut, Ink, Leathertennis

A 'Superb' wooden tennis racquet, with string whipping over cloth tape reinforced shoulders, and a fine-grooved handle with fish tail butt. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Gut, Ink, Cloth tape, Stringtennis

A 'The Superb' wooden tennis racquet, with string whipping over cloth tape reinforced shoulders, and a fine-grooved handle with fish tail butt. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Gut, Ink, Cloth tape, Stringtennis

A 'Superb' wooden tennis racquet, originally with string whipping over cloth tape reinforced shoulders, and a fine-grooved handle with fish tail butt. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Gut, Ink, Cloth tapetennis

An unstrung Horace Partridge & Co. tennis racquet, with solid convex throat, and cross-hatched handle. Decal of manufacturer's name, accompanied by a human figure holding up an oversized tennis racquet, features across throat on obverse. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Inktennis

An Horace Partridge Co. tennis racquet, with laminated convex throat, and fine-grooved handle. Decal of manufacturer's name, accompanied by an illustration of an upright sceptre, features across throat on obverse. Illegible model name features across crown on obverse. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Ink, Leather, Guttennis

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

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 unstrung, DWG & Co. flat-top tennis racquet, presented as a trophy, with ribbon collar, leather crown protector, and unique wood mosaic inlay along length of shaft and handle. Manufacturer's details impressed across throat on reverse. Silver plaque nailed to throat on obverse, featuring the engraved inscription: TOURNAMENT/SHARON SPRINGS/JULY 15TH 1885/SINGLES/WON BY/VALENTINE/G. HALL. Valentine Hall went on to win the Men's Doubles in 1888 and 1890 at the U.S. Tennis Championships. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Leather, Ribbontennis

An E&B (or B&E) wooden flat-top tennis racquet, with a wedged head frame, and unique handle design, comprising of a spotted checker pattern along shaft, cork end-wrap, and metal butt cover. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Gut, Corktennis

A Grenvilles Regal wooden tennis racquet, with solid convex throat, and fine-grooved handle. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Gut, Nylon, Leathertennis

A Grenvilles 'The Varsity' wooden tennis racquet, with solid convex throat, cloth tape reinforced shoulders with string whipping, and a slightly fantailed handle butt. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Gut, String, Cloth tape, Inktennis