TENNIS

[Ken Rosewall and Darlene Hard, celebrated tennis players.] Autograph Signatures.

Author: 
Ken Rosewall [Kenneth Robert Rosewall] (b.1934), Australian lawn tennis player; Darlene Hard [Darlene Ruth Hard] (b. 1936), American tennis player who won three open championships
Publication details: 
No date or place, but dated in another hand '1956'.
£45.00

In blue ink on a 9 x 6 cm rectangle of laid paper. In good condition. Hard signs first ('Darlene | Hard') with Rosewall's signature ('Ken Rosewall') curving upwards beneath hers. Between the two, in another hand is the date 1956, and beneath Rosewall's signature, in the same hand, is '(Rosewall)'. In 1956 Rosewall was on the verge of turning professional. In that year he won the US Open, beating fellow-Australian Lew Hoad. It was one of eight Grand Slam finals he played in as an amateur, winning three. In 1956 Hard was nearing her peak.

[Verney Lovett Cameron, African explorer.] Autograph Letter Signed ('V. Lovett Cameron'), with initialled postscript ('V. L. C.') to 'Mrs. Marshall', regarding difficulties in setting up a tennis club in Croydon.

Author: 
Verney Lovett Cameron (1844-1894), African explorer, the first European to cross equatorial Africa from sea to sea [Croydon; lawn tennis]
Publication details: 
9 December 1887. Kwinhata, Espom Road, Croydon.
£250.00

See Cameron's entry in the Oxford DNB. 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Having traversed the African continent from East to West in 1875 (the first European to do so), Cameron now turns his attention to the establishment of tennis club in Croydon. He has received a letter 'from Mr. Jaques about the tennis ground. The fencing is nearly finished and he seems in a hurry'. There is a problem however: lack of members.

[ Neville Bulwer-Lytton, 3rd Earl of Lytton, British military officer, Olympian and artist. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('Neville Lytton') to Digby la Motte, describing the 'magnificent' appearance at a Bach concert of Sir Claude Phillips.

Author: 
Neville Bulwer-Lytton (1879-1951), 3rd Earl of Lytton, British military officer, Olympian (Real Tennis) and artist [ Sir Claude Phillips; Richard Alexander Streatfeild ]
Publication details: 
On letterhead of Crabbet Park, Poundhill, Crawley, Sussex. 18 March 1911.
£65.00

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. He apologises for being unable to 'get out of' his 'other engagement' after his committee the following next Wednesday, and asks for 'another opportunity of coming to see you.' He continues: 'I saw Streatfield [sic] from afar the other night at Bach's mass in B. Minor. He was magnificent in evening dress next to Claude Phillips even more magnificent.' He concludes: 'I expect you Wednesday afternoon at Rossetti Studios, Flood St.

[Printed programme.] Redhill Open Lawn Tennis Tournament (Eighth Year), 1909.

Author: 
Redhill Open Lawn Tennis Tournament, 1909 [Kenneth Powell (1885-1915), English sportsman; Friedrich Wilhelm "Fieten" Rahe (1888-1949), German tennis player, runner-up at Wimbledon in 1913]
Publication details: 
C. Stephens, Printer, West Street, Reigate. 1909.
£45.00

4pp., 4to. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged and folded paper. Headed: 'Saturday, 24th July. The Tea to-day is kindly provided by Mrs. Searle.' Giving the scorecard, with names of all participants and results from first round to final, for nine events from the 'Gentlemen's Singles (Level). New Challenge Cup presented by SIR J. COLMAN, Bart.' (F. W. Rahe versus K. Powell) to 'Ladies Doubles (Handicap)' (Miss Harper and Miss Russell versus the Misses Bowyer). Scarce: no copy on COPAC.

[Jaroslav Drobny, Czechoslovakian tennis player, winner of Wimbledon in 1954.] Autograph Signature.

Author: 
Jaroslav Drobny [Jaroslav Drobný] (1921-2001), Czechoslovakian tennis player, winner of Wimbledon in 1954 [Hugh Foot, Baron Caradon (1907-1990); Leonard Cheshire (1917-1992)]
Publication details: 
Without place or date.
£80.00

On a piece of 6 x 10 cm paper. Laid down on leaf removed from autograph album, next to a newspaper cutting of a photograph of Drobny at play. Three autographs on slips of paper laid down on the reverse of the leaf: one of 'Leonard Cheshire' and two of Hugh Foot (one 'Hugh Foot' and the other 'Hugh Caradon').

Two Autograph Letters Signed (both 'Sybil Mc.Donnell') from Lady Sybil Mary McDonnell, daughter of the 6th Earl of Antrim, to Cecily Parker of Chester, discussing their autograph collections, and enclosing a caricature of her French teacher 'Tottie'.

Author: 
Lady Sybil Mary McDonnell (1876-1959), daughter of William Randall McDonnell (1851-1918), 6th Earl of Antrim, and from 1897 wife of Vivian Hugh Smith, 1st Baron Bicester
Publication details: 
Both on letterheads of Glenarm Castle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. 'Friday' and 'Sunday' [both in envelope postmarked 29 May 1891].
£80.00

Entertaining letters reflecting the privileged childhood of a member of the Irish nobility in the late Victorian period. Both in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, in aged envelope, with stamps and postmarks, addressed to 'Miss C. Parker | The Paddocks | Eccleston | Chester'. Letter One: 'Friday'. 1p., 12mo. She is sending 'some autographs which Mother gave me' (not present), and has 'put whoose [sic] they are on their backs in pencil'. She has 'no time to write now' as she is 'going out riding'.

Typed Note Signed, to Joan Jefferson Farjeon, set designer, daughter of crime writer J.Jefferson Farjeon and descended from American actor Joseph Jefferson, . with other items.

Author: 
Jean Borotra.
Publication details: 
35 Avenue Foch, Paris, 25 October 1952.
£128.00

Tennis player, one of the Four Musqueteers. One page, 4to, fold marks, very good condition. With original envelope (his initials and address printed on reverse. He is sorry not to have answered her last and thanks her for some books. "But I have been travelling a lot all over Europe and North Africa since the beginning of the month and am now leaving for South and North America.

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