Interesting / Possibly previously unheard of Stuff
'Angelique' plays tennis way back in 1966!
The divine Michèle Mercier, forever Angélique to millions, takes a break from filming in Paris in 1966 - images sourced from Pinterest here and here
A Giant Tennis Racket for a Very Small Girl!
A Giant Tennis Racket For A Very Small Girl - UNITED KINGDOM - JANUARY 01: A Little Girl With A Pouting Expression Carrying A Giant Tennis Racket In England Between 1920 And 1930. (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)
Glenarm College in Ilford or St Trinians? You choose!
The future of tennis - TENNIS-SCHOOL - Schoolgirls of the Glenarm College in Ilford are taking tennis lessons in 1935. (Photo by STF/AFP via Getty Images)
And the 'Grown Up' version in Australia
A Collective Tennis Class In Sydney in the 1930 - AUSTRALIA - January : Sydney, Australia. Women from the town's middle-class learning the tennis racket feathering in a tennis school. (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)
The Tennis Flirt!
1928 - Georges Pavis - 'The Tennis Flirt' - image sourced from Pinterest
Hope nobody's looking .....
Lovely little bit of mischief on court - 'Lighting Up After A Tennis Match - Two women lighting cigarettes on a tennis court in Essex, England circa 1930's.' (Photo by Keystone View/FPG/Getty Images)
'Crazy that way!" - 1930
Poster of the 1930 Film - image courtesy of : IMDB
Synopsis : 'Young heiress Ann Jordan and her fiancé Frank Oakes would be happy except for the constant appearance of Robert Metcalf, who follows her or them everywhere. This continues into their time at the country club, even interfering with tennis games. The two boys are constantly arguing, and Ann grows weary of them both, and after a knock down, drag out fight that destroys the Jordan garden, they realize she has fallen for an older man, Jack Gardner, an engineering friend of her father.' - Source : IMDB
Crazy That Way, lobbycard, from left, Regis Toomey, Joan Bennett, 1930. (Photo by LMPC via Getty Images)
Konta & Murray back new British Tennis member scheme
I do like a decent logo especially using our brilliant Union Jack flag and 'my colours' for a new tennis initiative
Even Cats dig Roger Federer
During the Australian Open in 2017, this little cat called Rémy, who lives near New York couldn't help but urge Roger on - after all his 'mom' is a Swiss Miss.
'Advantage' Mice
A heartwarming story involving tennis balls and field mice.
A natural harvest mouse nest and one fashioned from a tennis ball. Photos by Alasdair Grubb
Tennis balls provide perfect penthouses for harvest mice
You might not think there’s much to celebrate about a grubby old tennis ball, but these seemingly uninspiring objects are being put to use in an unusual way by one of our country’s cutest critters. This autumn (2015), wardens at the RSPB’s Dee Estuary nature reserve discovered an empty harvest mouse nest, alerting the team that these tiny creatures – not usually found so far north – had moved into their Cheshire site. Since then, the team have come up with a creative way of providing more homes for their resident rodents: by using old tennis balls.
Alasdair Grubb, warden at Dee Estuary nature reserve, said: “Sadly harvest mice numbers are falling in the UK due to changing farming practices and other pressures on our countryside, so we were delighted to discover they had made a home at Burton Mere Wetlands and were eager to find out how many and whereabouts they were living.”
Game, set, match!
The RSPB got in touch with a local tennis club to help deliver more of these unusual homes which, as well as an excellent recycling solution, will also allow harvest mice numbers to be more closely monitored. Alasdair continued: “Tennis balls might seem like an odd solution, but it’s actually a trick that’s been used with balls from Wimbledon for years. So, I contacted the tennis section at Neston Cricket Club and enquired if they would consider donating any of their used balls.
“The club coach, Dan Stickland, was more than happy to help and provided 35 old tennis balls for me to drill a hole in and put around the reserve in suitable locations; which means next summer I’ll be able to revisit each tennis ball and see whether it has been used as a nest. “As well as allowing us a means of surveying the numbers, the tennis balls also protect the mice from predation and bad weather, and provide extra homes by giving them chance to nest in areas where there might be ample food, but not quite the right conditions.”
"Next summer I’ll be able to revisit each tennis ball and see whether it has been used as a nest”
Here's hoping the mice enjoyed their new homes to read more visit the RSPB here
Roland Garros goes Pink
Court no.1 was given a special makeover this year. In honour of Women’s Day at Roland Garros, the court was covered in bright fuchsia-coloured clay. Chris Evert, former world no.1 and seven-time French Open champion, and FFT president Jean Gachassin led the inauguration ceremony.
Evert was moved to reminisce about about her French Open days: “When I see the courts here, it makes me want to play again,” she said with a big smile, “but you’ll have to ask Martina if the colour changes the game.”
Two Perrier Legends Tournament semi-final matches were played on the new pink surface today: American Martina Navratilova and Czech Jana Novotna faced off against Frenchwomen Nathalie Tauziat and Sandrine Testud, followed by the Spanish-Croatian team Conchita Martinez and Iva Majoli versus the German-Austrian pairing of Anke Huber and Barbara Schett.
For the ladies out there who needed a little break from tennis-watching, a Women’s Village was set up on Court No.4. They could get a new hairdo, try out a wild new shade on their nails, or go work out those knots incurred from cheering on their favourite players with a quick massage.
From l to r : Natalie Tauziat, Sandrine Testud, Jana Novotna, FFT president Jean Gachassin, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova photo courtesy of Getty Images
Thanks to the Roland Garros website and Getty Images for these remarkable pictures.
Roland Garros - Backdrop for 'Poirot'
Roland Garros (and Paris and Shoreham Airport and Le Bourget Airport) all featured in the Poirot episode entitled 'Death in the Clouds.'
"Did you know '@rolandgarros' modern court No.2 made it to 'Poirot' TV series in 'Death in the Clouds'? Poirot attended the 1935 final there - excellent compilation of screen dumps and dialogue sourced from Twitter
The 1935 French Championships (now known as the French Open) was a tennis tournament that took place on the outdoor clay courts at the Stade Roland-Garros in Paris, France. The tournament ran from 21st May until 2nd June. It was the 40th staging of the French Championships and the second Grand Slam tournament of the year. Fred Perry and Hilde Sperling won the singles titles.
United Kingdom's Fred Perry (GBR) defeated Germany's Gottfried von Cramm (GER) 6–3, 3–6, 6–1, 6–3 - "Internationaux de France de tennis 1935
Fred Perry et Gottfried von Cramm avant la finale simple-messieurs au stade Roland-Garros à Paris, France le 2 juin 1935." (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images) - image & dialogue courtesy & © of Getty
Titanic Survivors
2012 is a year for anniversaries all over the world and the 100-year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic also brings forth a tennis story - two young men, in addition to being survivors of one of the most infamous marine tragedies, also made their names in the world of tennis. Meet Richard Williams and Karl Behr.
Titanic survivors Dick Williams (second from left) and Karl Behr (third from left) appear in this photograph from July 1914. (Credit: Underwood & Underwood/Corbis)
First of all I will admit to not knowing that any tennis players had survived the Titanic disaster, let alone that any were travelling and secondly - there is a lot of information available on the internet which can be found here, in addition to the information below.
Tennis stars among Titanic survivors
It’s a little-known fact that two future International Tennis Hall of Famers were among 713 survivors of the Titanic disaster that claimed 1,516 lives in the sinking of the world’s largest ship during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City on April 14, 1912. The tragedy struck about 1,000 miles east of Boston at 11:40 p.m. as the vessel crashed into an iceberg. By 2:45 a.m. on April 15, the ship had sunk to the bottom of the sea.
L. Jon Wertheim, writing in Sports Illustrated (April 2, 2012), identified the tennis players as Dick Williams of Philadelphia and Karl Behr of New York City. Williams was 21 and Behr 27 at the time of the mishap. Williams was born in Geneva where his father Charles had moved and became a European junior champion. Behr, a US Davis Cup mainstay, had advanced to the Wimbledon doubles finals with Beals Wright in 1907.
Another little-known fact about the Titanic that Wertheim disclosed was it had a squash court. On the two days that the ship sailed in luxury, Williams played squash to keep fit. The squash court and the boiler rooms were supposedly among the first places to flood when water began to gush into the ship after the crash.
Wertheim said Behr and his future wife Helen Newsom, 19, were accommodated in a lifeboat during evacuation proceedings by J. Bruce Ismay, managing director of the Titanic owner White Star Lines. Women and children were given priority in the lifeboats but Behr jumped in because “Ismay allegedly told Behr and (Richard) Beckwith (Newsom’s stepfather) to get in the boat, too, because men were needed to help with the rowing.” Behr later claimed there were 45 to 50 passengers in the lifeboat which could’ve accommodated 15 or 20 more. The lifeboat was the second to leave the ship.
Williams wasn’t as lucky in finding space in a lifeboat. Wrapped in a fur coat, he jumped into the freezing water to abandon the sinking ship. Williams frantically swam towards a floating collapsible boat that had not been assembled and held on for dear life with some 30 others. Battling hypothermia, he was fished out after a three-hour wait by the crew of the steamer Carpathia that responded to a distress call. The fur coat was later recovered and given to Williams as a memento.
Believe it or not, three months later, Williams and Behr faced each other on the tennis court at the Longwood Bowl in Boston. Behr won, 0-6, 7-9, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4, in a classic match of titanic proportions. Two years later, Williams got back at Behr to carve out a 6-2, 6-2, 7-5 victory in the quarterfinals of the US Nationals – now known as the US Open – in Newport. They were teammates on the US Davis Cup squad in 1914.
Wertheim noted that Williams reigned as the US men’s singles champion in 1914 and 1916 and was on the 1920 Wimbledon doubles champion team. Williams saw action on the US squad that won the Davis Cup in 1925 and 1926. At the 1924 Olympics, Williams played on the champion mixed doubles pair. Williams, a decorated World War I hero with the US Army, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1957 and Behr posthumously in 1969.
Williams died in 1968 at the age of 77 and Behr in 1949 at the age of 64. They were both successful professionals in their post-tennis years. Williams became an investment banker while Behr a lawyer, banker and Board member of companies such as Goodyear and NCR.
To commemorate the centennial anniversary of the Titanic disaster, James Cameron reworked his Oscar-winning 1997 blockbuster movie, this time in 3-D, and the remake will open in Manila theaters on Saturday. The original version grossed about $1.8 Billion all over the world. There’s no telling if as many fans will pay to watch a replay of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in a more gripping and intimate portrayal of the tragedy but the betting is moviegoers won’t pass up the chance of reliving the epic experience. “Titanic” is in the record books as the second highest grossing movie of all time, behind Cameron’s other hit “Avatar” and the remake might just bring it over the top.
Williams inspired a scene in the movie. In the actual tragedy, he broke a door to save a trapped passenger and a liner official had the temerity to threaten a fine for destroying ship property. The incident is immortalized in the film.
Wertheim’s piece in Sports Illustrated was entitled “Unsinkable” and appeared in a six-page layout with this inviting introduction: “A century ago, more than 1,500 people died in the most famous shipwreck in history... two of the world’s best tennis players, Richard Williams and Karl Behr, survived the disaster – in very different ways.”
RUMBLED - the man in the Black Hat!
We've also now discovered the identity of the man in the black hat always visible in the Players box - whom the Wimbledon web-site describes as 'The AELTC's longest-serving honorary steward David Spearing, with 38 years of service behind him.'
That Calendar!
Thanks to an exhibition devoted to tennis ("Court On Canvas: Tennis In Art" which ran from May 27 to September 18, 2011 at The Barber Institute of Fine Arts at the University of Birmingham), Fiona Walker, then Butler, has been reunited with the image to promote what organisers are billing as "the first exhibition on lawn tennis as a subject in art."
Apparently, more than two million copies of the "sexy" poster, which will appear in the exhibition, have been sold worldwide.
Just for fun, a clothed version of Fiona is shown on the sidebar. To read the full article as it appeared in the Daily Mail click here
That Calendar parody!
Never one to miss out on an opportunity it seems, Pippa Middleton promoted Wimbledon 2013 in her own very special way with the help of Vanity Fair. A spoof article which appeared in the Daily Mail followed as a result of Vanity Fair keeping their version unavailable for general viewing.
The spoof features a lookalike in a modern reproduction of the iconic Athena Poster shot immortalised by Fiona Walker in the 1970s. However, whereas Fiona retained her anonymity for many years, the spoof has made no such concession (except to the body lookalike). Pippa, doomed forever to being affectionately known as 'Her Royal Hotness' following global admiration of her bridesmaids (rear) duties at the wedding of her sister, Catherine to Prince William of Wales is a prime target for featuring in a (not so very original) take on the Calendar shot.
For a reproduction of the article as it appeared in the Daily Mail click here
WTA - Strong is Beautiful Campaign
The WTA unveiled a new global ad campaign with the tag line "Strong is Beautiful", featuring 38 current and next generation stars of the sport.
Drawing upon athleticism and grace - a unique combination that has turned the stars of the WTA into the most recognizable and followed female athletes on the planet - the campaign places the personal stories, pressures and dreams of the players front of stage. The creative is designed to support the WTA's efforts to establish a deeper engagement with fans around the world and to promote both the sport's next generation of players along with current established names.
Lookalikes
As I'm an avid follower of tennis I have been struck at how similar some of the tennis players are to other well-known celebrities or public figures and in my youth Chris Evert and I were dead ringers for each other - so I'm devoting the sidebar to this fascinating aspect.
Australian Open Logo
Have you ever wondered who's silhouette was used to represent the perfect service motion? Today I found out - the silhouette belongs to Stefan Edberg who has also been the latest addition to my lookalikes section.
Not to diminish Stefan in any way here is a short version of his major achievements:
MAJOR TITLES (8) - Australian singles, 1985, 1987; Wimbledon singles, 1988, 1990; US. singles, 1991, 1992, Australian doubles, 1987; US. doubles, 1987.
DAVIS CUP - 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996; record: 34-14 in singles, 12-8 in doubles, 6 finals, 4 Cups.
SINGLES RECORD IN THE MAJORS - Australian (56-11), French (30-13), Wimbledon (49-12), US. (39-11).
Mentoring and Coaching Roger Federer (2014-5)
Retro Advertising
Cigarettes
Dunlop Tennis Balls
Dunlop - The Champions Ball - image sourced from etsy.com
Advert for the Dunlop Champions Ball as it appeared in 1930 - sourced from periodpaper.com
Magazines
Helen Wills Moody on the cover of Vanity Fair in 1932 - this was the original image I discovered and since then .....
The original illustration created by Miguel Covarrubias for the August 1932 cover of Vanity Fair - image sourced from Pinterest
In 1985 Vanity Fair produced a 'Flashback' to this wonderful front page and provided information and a provenance for this eye-catching and innovative magazine cover although their reckoning then (in 1985) that Helen Wills Moody was 'unmatched' would probably, today, be disputed by Serena Williams. - Image courtesy & © of Archive Vanity Fair
And the finished article clearly showing the date and price on the bottom line and something that is not visible on the original picture I posted - the initials under the collar fastening - image sourced from Pinterest
The cover of Vogue 1927
Health Spas
Léon Bénigni's "Brides les Bains en Savoie – La Station de la Femme Élégante" 1929 - image sourced from amazon.com
I have to ask - what's not to love about this poster? I've loved it for years and used it originally as part of my template for the tennis section of this homage to Tennis. This poster is full of surprises and an education for me - first of all little did I realise that 'Brides les Bains' is actually a resort and a very popular one by general consensus - your can read more about that here. I was trying to make sense of the 'Brides' until I told myself not to polyglot and read French words the same as English words and by association give them the same meaning (you know 'Bathing Brides' as you might use on 'Bathing Beauties duh!) ... Léon BENIGNI (1892 - 1948) was a new illustrator for me too and what an exciting time frame he lived in - a short biography from stephenongpin.com tells us a bit more. "A leading fashion illustrator, draughtsman and lithographer, Léon Bénigni worked with such designers and couturiers as Jeanne Lanvin, Marcel Rochas, Elsa Schiaparelli, Lucien Lelong, Jacques Fath, Jean Patou, Nina Ricci and Cristôbal Balenciaga. He produced drawings and cover designs for such magazines as Harper's Bazaar, Femina, La Donna, Art Goût Beauté, The Bystander and Modes et Travaux, and also designed a number of travel posters in the 1920s and 1930s (notably one for the spa and ski resort of Brides-les-Bains in the Savoie region) and advertisements for Cadillac and LaSalle cars."
LNER
'The poster shows an elegant family playing (elegant) beach tennis on the sands at Zeebrugge'. Artwork by Jean Droit. (Photo by SSPL/Getty Images)
Martini Rossi
Boulevard des Italiens, Paris 1936 'Parisians walk past lottery and vermouth advertisements on the City of Light’s Boulevard des Italiens in 1936. The poster for the national lottery says, "Try Your Luck."' - image created by Maynard Owen Williams (September 12, 1888-June 1963) and sourced from the National Geographic archives (National Geographic Image Collection 668261).
Talk about mysteries! I've enjoyed this image by Maynard Owen Williams* for many years, from the moment I saw it and wanted to know the provenance behind the Apéritif Rossi advert basically taking over the picture. It's proving very tricky however!
*'Maynard Owen Williams (September 12, 1888-June 1963) was a National Geographic correspondent from 1919. He was an inveterate traveller who began travelling in his teens, explored Asia and witnessed the Russian Revolution, among other adventures. In his own words a "camera-coolie and a roughneck", Williams was the Geographic's first foreign correspondent, and his reports include a description of the opening of the tomb of Tutankhamen in 1923. Maynard Williams was also an excellent photographer, and pioneered travel photography.'
I believe the artist/illustrator of the poster might be Jean Droit. I base this on the artwork on the label of the drink which is identified as his and he has created other curiously round-headed sporting figures, most notably that of a jockey also an advert for Martini & Rossi products. His work for the bottle label is described as 'Great classic advertising poster by Jean Droit. Created in the 1930's and published by Milano' by printcollection.com.
Keeping with the tennis theme I also added Roland Garros into the mix thinking it might have been created especially for the French Open - needless to say I'm still searching.
I have requested information from Martini/Campari about this image and am in touch with the archivist but my namesake Anna S has asked me more questions than she was able to answer - I await a further reply.
I sent a similar enquiry to Roland Garros in early June and so far they have not responded - I used their web-site facility so would hope that it did reach its destination!
Southern Electric
'In Winter To Your Recreations by Southern Electric', SR poster, 1939. UK - JANUARY : Produced for the Southern Railway (SR). The artwork is by Betty Pinney. (Photo by SSPL/Getty Images)
The Dairy Council - 1930s
The Dairy Council used several sports (tennis, swimming, cycling, athletics and Guide & Scouting activities - both genders were encouraged) to promote drinking milk - image sourced from and courtesy of : Heritage Auctions
Present Day Advertising
The London Transport Museum is reproducing its original artwork on a variety of popular memorabilia.
I particularly like these coasters based on the original poster by a 1930 Charles Burton
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