A Hazell Ariel badminton racquet, with string whipping around cloth tape reinforced shoulders, and fine-grooved handle. Materials: Wood, Gut, Leather, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, String, Cloth tape, Inktennis

A Magnan Rex badminton racquet, with plastic whipping around shoulders and shaft, and leather handle grip with large floral-patterned perforations. Materials: Wood, Nylon, Leather, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Paint, Cloth, Adhesive tape, Plastic, String, Inktennis

A double-faced racquet constructed entirely of bamboo and interwoven with strapped reeds. Materials: Bamboo, Reedtennis

A solid wooden bat, with an elongated shaft, with the handle end slightly warped. Materials: Woodtennis

A solid wooden bat, with a a wedged back, and leather end wrap. Stamped in red ink, along the upper shaft of the back is: PRIORY HEATH. Priory Heath is a district of the city of Ispwich, in Suffolk, England. Materials: Wood, Ink, Leather, Glue, Lacquer, Metaltennis

A Nicolls Champion, laminated wooden bat, with rubber handle grip. Model name features on reverse, Nicholls logo and East Sussex coat-of-arms trademark feature on obverse. Materials: Wood, Ink, Rubber, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Adhesive tapetennis

A solid wood bat, probably used in a form of tennis requiring bats instead of racquets. Minimal wear across both faces suggest a soft ball was struck. Materials: Woodtennis

A club-shaped solid wood bat, used for striking a hard ball exclusively across one face. Handle end has a small crooked butt for sturdier grip. Along the right side of bat is a number - either 1850 or 1650. Materials: Woodtennis

A solid wood bat, with a slightly projecting butt, and wedged back. The flat face is indented, meaning the bat was used to strike a hard ball. Faint manufacturer's details feature across the base of the face: LUMLEY'S LTD/GLASGOW. Materials: Woodtennis

A solid wood bat with a wedged back. Nails projecting from the base suggest adornment with an end wrap.The flat face is heavily indented, meaning the bat was used to strike a hard ball. Materials: Wood, Metaltennis

A ply-wood paddle, with a handle/shaft slightly tapering from the butt to the throat. Obverse and reverse of shaft/handle feature basic carved design. Materials: Wood, Metal, Glue, Lacquertennis

A ply-wood paddle, with rounded butt. Materials: Wood, Metal, Glue, Lacquertennis

A ply-wood paddle, with squared butt. Materials: Wood, Metal, Glue, Lacquertennis

A children's toy tennis racquet, with solid concave throat, red painted collar, and plain handle. Materials: Wood, Gut, Leather, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Paint, Papertennis

An FAO Schwarz children's tennis racquet, with solid concave throat, and fine-grooved handle. Schwarz bell trademark features on throat on obverse. Materials: Wood, Gut, Leather, Glue, Lacquer, Inktennis

A children's toy tennis racquet, with solid concave throat, red painted collar, and fine-grooved handle. Materials: Wood, Gut, Leather, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Paint, Papertennis

A Rollin Wilson Midget Model, children's tennis racquet, with paper tape whipping around shaft/handle. Manufacturer and model decal on throat on obverse. Materials: Wood, Twine, Paper, Glue, Lacquer, Inktennis

A Rollin Wilson Midget Model, children's squash racquet, with paper tape whipping around shoulders and handle. manufacturer and model details impressed onto throat. Materials: Wood, Gut, Paper, Glue, Lacquer, Metaltennis

A children's tennis racquet, featuring solid convex throat, red-painted collar, and fine-grooved handle. Materials: Wood, Gut, Paint, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Leathertennis

A 'Live Oak' children's tennis racquet, featuring solid convex throat, red-painted collar, and fine-grooved handle. Materials: Wood, Gut, Paint, Glue, Lacquer, Metaltennis

A children's tennis racquet, featuring slightly lobbed head, solid convex throat, wood/cardboard laminated frame and shaft, and paper collar and end wrap. Materials: Wood, Twine, Paper, Glue, Lacquer, Metal, Cardboardtennis

A children's tennis racquet, with gut stringing continuing from head into open throat, and cloth bound lower shoulders and shaft. Materials: Wood, Gut, Cloth tape, Glue, Lacquer, Metaltennis

A pair of Dayton racquetball racquets, with metal frame and metal stringing, and fine-grooved wooden handle. Materials: Metal, Wood, Paint, Plastic, Adhesive tape, Ink, Gluetennis

A Yashima MiniSmash wooden racquetball racquet, with string whipping around shoulders and leather handle grip with x-formation perforations. Materials: Wood, Nylon, Leather, Plastic, Adhesive tape, String, Paint, Ink, Glue, Lacquer, Metaltennis

A Wilson Slammer racquetball racquet, with one-piece metallic frame, plastic throat brace, plastic handle with leather grip, and cord tail. Materials: Metal, Plastic, Leather, Cord, Nylon, Ink, Adhesive tape, Gluetennis

A ping-pong paddle, with stretched hide double face, leather-bound head framework, leather collar, and a rounded, solid wood handle. During this period of table tennis history, it was merely a parlour game, and very distant from the professional competitive sport it was to become. Materials: Wood, Hide, String, Leather, Glue, Metal, Lacquertennis

A piece of sporting equipment which seems to be a ping pong paddle with stretched hide face, on one side, and a junior lawn tennis racquet, with stringing, on the other side. Impressed gold designs geature around frame and shaft. During this period of table tennis history, it was merely a parlour game, and very distant from the professional competitive sport it was to become. Materials: Wood, Hide, String, Ink, Leather, Paint, Glue, Metaltennis

A Ping Pong paddle, with stretched hide double-face, and gold tape decoration around frame. During this period of table tennis history, it was merely a parlour game, and very distant from the professional competitive sport it was to become. Materials: Wood, Hide, Glue, Adhesive tapetennis

A pair of Ping Pong paddles, with stretched hide faces, and leather binding with impressed gold patterning. During this period of table tennis history, it was merely a parlour game, and very distant from the professional competitive sport it was to become. Materials: Wood, Hide, Leather, Glue, Inktennis

A toddler's tennis racquet, with solid concave throat, gut stringing, and leather collar around shaft. Materials: Wood, Gut, Leather, Glue, Lacquer, Metaltennis