Table Tennis History Journal 87 Excellent research for Historians, Collectors February and all Lovers of our Great Sport 2019

Chinese poster for Rong Guotuan, who won the 1959 World Singles title, China’s first World Championship in any sport. See pages 33-40 From the Editor Table Tennis Dear Friends, -30C at this writing!

Welcome to issue 87 of the Table Tennis History Journal, for History historians, writers, collectors, and all lovers of our sport. We are sorry to learn of the passing of long time collector Bob Op de Journal Beeck of Belgium.

In the new issue your editor reports on several interesting New Discoveries, Old Treasures, also a summary of Chinese Table Tennis posters, and the usual Auction Action.

Alan Duke (ENG) continues his in-depth research into early newspaper articles, and reports on the oft-told story of Mr EC Goode and the pharmacy change mat. He also shows some images from the Foley porcelain Ping Pong patent. Jorge Arango (COL) presents his 6�� installment on early pirated images, and Gerald Gurney (ENG) sends an article about the Xylonite works in Brantham, Essex.

More Barna rackets to share, thanks to Fabio Marcotulli (VEN) and Bruno Lancon (FRA).

Our Philatelic Update introduces 2 new blue meters, a postmark No. 87 from India, and a French personalized stamp. Auction Action, features some surprises, including a rare early February 2019 candy box, Table Tennis art, and a ticket for the 1936 World Ch. Hope you enjoy the new issue. Feedback always welcomed. Next edition scheduled for June 1, 2019. Editor and Publisher: For our sport, Table Tennis for All, For Life. Chuck Hoey, Honorary Curator Chuck ITTF Museum & China TT Museum [email protected] I have received the 2018 attendance statistics from Shanghai, for the new Table Tennis Museums. From April to December there Publishing Schedule: were 73,823 visitors, an average of 8,200 per week! Also there were 50,000 visitors for 9 traveling exhibitions throughout China. June 1 Submit articles by May 15 Congratulations to the talented and dynamic museum team in Oct 1 Submit articles by Sep 15 Shanghai - very impressive stats! Keep up the great work. Feb 1 Submit articles by Jan 15

In this issue …

Cover: World Ch. New Discoveries, Old Treasures Research Rong Missing Silver bat 4 Silver bowl 5 EC Goode 14-17 Guotuan Scores Szabados bats 6 Kimono 9 Barna bats Foley porcelain 27 poster 3 16mm film 8 10-12 Newspapers 42-54 33 Alan Duke

Brantham Pirated 1935 Coleman Chinese Back Page: Xylonite Images Clark article Posters World Ch. Philatelic Auction Part 6 Works 28-32 33-40 Budapest Update 17-25 26 Action 72 Jorge Arango Gerald Gurney 41 55-69

2 World Championships Scores

This is a periodic update about the important World Championship Scores project. We made steady progress, thanks to the help of several diligent readers, but unfortunately there is no progress to report in over a year. We are tantalizingly close to completing the Men’s Singles, but in the other Individual Events, many scores are missing from the 1940s and ‘50s, even one from the 1965 Worlds! I encourage our readers to dive in and help preserve the historical record and find those scores. Please contact the Editor if you find any. Go for it! Chuck

World Championships - Missing Game Scores, Individual events:

MS: 1936: Rd/16

WS: 1934: Rd/16: wins by Kettnerova & Berry 1936: Rd/16 (wins by Smidova, Gal & Koudelova 1947: Rd/16 (wins by Hruskova, Farkas, Abou Heif, Pritzi) 1949: Rd/16

MD: 1936: Rd/16: all except wins by McClure/Blattner, Soos/Hazi, Haguenauer/Bedoc 1949: Rd/16 1950: Rd/16 1955: Rd/16

WD: 1936: Rd/16: Kleinova/Holoubkova won 3-0; Medyanszky/Gal won 3-0 Votrubcova/Depetrisova won 3-1 need game scores 1947: Rd/16 1950: Rd/16, + Farkas/Rozeanu winning Semifinal scores 1965: Rd/16: need only Liang Li-chen/Li Ho-nan 3-0 scores

XD: 1933: Rd/16 (all except: Glancz/Gal, Barna/Sipos, & Kelen/Mednyanszky) 1936: Rd/16: wins by Hamr/Kleinova, Ehrlich/Braunova, Tereba/Kettnerova 1947: Rd/16 1949: Rd/16; QF: Leach / Franks 3-2 scores 1950: Rd/16 (I have the British player scores, missing the others) 1955: Rd/16 (I have wins by Simons/Elliot, and Tanaka/Narahara, missing the others) 1957: Rd/16 (I have Leach/Rowe & Haydon/Andreadis wins, missing the others) 1959: Rd/16: Berczik/Lantos 3-0; Murakami/Matsuzaki 3-0; Wang C/Sun 3-1; Sung/Choe 3-1 Ogimura/Eguchi 3-0

3 New Discoveries - Old Treasures Silver Bat 1901 Hallmarks

4 New Discovery - Old Treasure

The John Sanders Challenge Cup, presented by Mrs.L. W. Rouse Silver hallmarks date the bowl to 1903. On ebay for $190

5 New Discoveries - Old Treasures Szabados Bats

It’s a rare occasion when any Szabados signature bats surface. This fine pair was found in their original box, with photo of the 1931 World Singles Champ. These are shown in the accompanying Slazenger advertisement. They are definitely an old treasure!

6 Another type of Szabados bat, originally listed on ebay at £499, but then withdrawn due to ‘an error in the listing’, which often suggests it was privately sold.

7 16mm Dunlop film featuring 5-time World Singles Champion Victor Barna vs 1931 World Singles Champion Miklos Szabados. Directed by Roland Litchfield, £38

8 New Discoveries - Old Treasures Meisen Kimono

Meisen antique silk Kimono & Haori. The kimono is 147 cm in length, the haori is 71 cm long, both are 60 cm wide. $450, then lowered to $427 immortalgeisha.com notes that Meisen is a method of flat weaving shiny silk which began in the late Edo period. On ebay for $427

9 Barna Bats from Fabio and Bruno

Superb Barna bat with red signature, no red oval, the Dunlop logo in red teardrop, with original Barna testimony. From Fabio Marcotulli

10 11 Jeu de Ping Pong, by Aux Quatre As, with pair of hardbats with Barna signature, underscored. With thanks to Bruno Lancon (FRA)

12 Greeting card with copy of a painting by famous Italian artist Massimo Campigli (1895-1971), kindly sent by another great, Fabio Marcotulli

13 The Tale of E C Goode and the Chemist’s Cash Mat by Alan Duke

The Story: This oft-repeated story was featured by Chuck Hoey in a Fact or Fiction article (TTC 46, page 4). The tale of a Mr E C Goode from Putney using a racket covered with a rubber cash mat, spotted by chance in a chemist’s shop, probably originated from Ivor Montagu’s description in his second book on the game, Table Tennis (1936) - written over 30 years after the event, by someone who wasn’t even born at the time! In this version the claim was made that Mr Goode then proceeded to defeat everyone at the next Royal Aquarium tournament, including in the final the then champion of England Mr A C Parker “by the preposterous score of 50 points to 3”. In later versions of the tale, the event had even become the national championships!

When and Where: In attempting to verify the origins of this story, assuming that memory wasn’t playing tricks with the venue and that it was at the Aquarium as described, the tournament would have to have been before 10th January 1903. On that night, after 26 years as “a landmark of London as well known as St Paul’s to the average citizen”, the Royal Aquarium closed, and 3 weeks later on 1st February following the sale of props, etc, the Wesleyans took possession. In his farewell speech, “Uncle” Ritchie (manager; and father of M J G Ritchie, organiser and referee of the tournaments held there) stated that he was “proud to say that about thirty million people had paid for admission since the Aquarium was opened” (Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 12 January). Also, if the reference to Arnold Parker were to be believed, that places the event after December 1901.

But I have yet to find any reference to Mr Parker losing 50-3 as reported. And although there were a number of candidates named E C Goode in the London area at that time, none ever appear to have entered any of the reported events (let alone win any), and none were from Putney. But there were numerous reports of a Mr Good. And during 1902 there were plenty of tournaments at the Aquarium to choose from, e.g. All-England Championships (8-14 January), Westminster Championships (3-8 February), South London Championships (5-8 March), London Championships (29 October to 1 November), All-England Championships (3-6 December).

Earlier Reference?: Checking to see whether Ivor Montagu had made any reference to the story in his (much rarer) earlier book Table Tennis To-Day (1924) gave an important new perspective to the tale! Firstly, the subject was a Mr Good (not the E C Goode as copied and elaborated on in every subsequent re-telling of the events), and secondly there is no reference to Mr Parker (or Putney for that matter, only “a suburb”). The time is some two or three days before the great championship tournament at the Aquarium in 1902. The scene is a suburb, and Mr. Good, one of the competitors, is returning to his home. He has a cold, and, oppressed by a headache, he enters a chemist’s shop and bespeaks a palliative. Then with a suddenness that characterises all great discoveries, he perceives the chemist’s cash mat. A Eureka-stroke of genius, a simple transaction, and the thing is done. The red rubber mat is purchased, and glued to Mr. Good’s racket. With a scissors he shaves it down, and in due time he repairs to the championship. Thus appeared the rubber racket and the devastating top spin drive. A single stroke won every point, and Mr. Good with ease passed through round after round to win by an incredible margin.

Mr Good at the Tournaments: In a report on the first Royal Aquarium tournament [TTC 64/8] the Daily Express of 14th December 1901 claimed that the “most exciting contest of the evening” was that between G Greville (victor the following month in the first All-England Championships) and E B Good, the former winning a very close match. Note that a Miss Good, a “superb half-volleyer”, was reported to be “one of the best players”, losing in the semi-finals to eventual winner Miss Vyvyan Eames (another excellent player, and also a superb half-volleyer). The Sportsman of 11th January 1902 lists a G B Good as one of the last 24 left in the All-England Championships (and Miss Good in the last 8 ladies; she went on to finish 2nd; [TTC 67/29]). Although there was an Ernest B Good living in Hampstead at the time, it’s possible that the E B Good of the first report could be an error in the programme or in transcription, and that it could also be G B Good (see box later).

14 E C Goode

To get a spin on the ball in order to manage certain intricate strokes, … a new wooden racquet has been designed which is covered with a layer of india-rubber. The rubber “bites” the ball without injuring it, a gyrating movement thus being imparted to it. Daily Express 20 January 1902 [TTH 89] The remaining examples are all for a Mr F Good, and apart from the Wimbledon event were all held at the Aquarium. At the Westminster Championships in February he won the Gentlemen’s Singles, his “magnificent return strokes” being a feature of his play. Arnold Parker won the Gentlemen’s Handicap event, and Miss Good was 3rd in the ladies‘ event [TT&PP 5]. Mr Good was also successful in a tournament at Wimbledon (27 February - 1 March), using the new regulation ball, “half as heavy again as those hitherto in use” [TT&PP 9]. Lawn Tennis & Croquet magazine (5 March) described him as being “in fine form, and has undoubtedly improved since the time when he nearly secured championship honours at the Aquarium” [surely this reference must be to an earlier event than the very recent Westminster tournament?] [TTC 79/14]. At the South of London Championships he was runner-up in both the Gentlemen’s Singles and Handicap.

Rubber-covered rackets caused considerable problems for the home players when a team from the Hendon Ping Pong Club arrived in Sheffield with such rackets for a match in April of that year. The event took place at the Royal Victoria Hotel, in a large ballroom full of spectators. The Sheffield Daily Telegraph of 14th April described the play of the Hendon team: “Using rackets covered with rubber, they seemed to make the ball do what they liked––shoot forward from a slow drop, curve in the air to right or left, screw in any direction, or fall back over the net. It was a revelation of the possibilities of ‘cut’. The most effective stroke was the ‘upper cut’– –a sharp upward movement of the racket at the moment of striking––mainly a wrist stroke––which caused the ball, on touching the table, to shoot forward at a very low angle.” Matches were best of three, 20 up, and Hendon (including in their team Arnold Parker) won by 19 games to 6.

St James’s Gazette 29 September 1902

I believe that this tournament, the second staging of the Championship of London (October 1902) for the handsome London Cup, may well be the one referred to by Ivor Montagu. In the semi-finals, committee member Mr Good defeated the current holder Mr R D Ayling, and went on to win the event by beating Mr P Hamer 40-29, 40- 27. Mr Ayling finished 3rd and Mr P Bromfield 4th. But that wasn’t quite it, as the regulations of the event stated that if the current holder were to be triumphant again then the trophy would become his “absolute property”, but if not the final match the following Saturday between the previous and the new holder would determine who would “become the complete possessor before the Aquarium passes away”.

15 E C Goode

Mr Good again defeated Mr Ayling in that final deciding match, 50-35, 50-34 [Sporting Life, 3 and 10 November]. The event was played under the TTA laws, including the old existing service law of service directly over the net, rather than the new (PPA) “bouncing service” [London Daily News, 30 October]. Aside from the obvious prestige of the event, another reason for thinking that this may be the one referred to is the stature of the defeated finalist, Ralph Ayling. It may be that, in his later version, Montagu mixed up in his memory two English champions (Arnold Parker being the better-known of the two). Although Ayling wasn’t at the time of the match the champion of England, he rectified that a month later [TTC 67/20-21].

Other evidence: Arnold Parker described such a racket in his book “Ping-Pong; The Game and How to Play It”, published at the beginning of February 1902. Under the heading of Covered Wood Rackets he stated that “there is one make covered with an india-rubber pad, very similar to those one sees on many cash-desks to allow money to be picked up more easily than it can be off the smooth counter”. He may have been describing Frank Bryan’s “Atropos” rubber faced bat, being advertised at that time (for example as shown in TTC 46 from Ritchie and Harrison’s Table Tennis and How To Play It, also published in early February). In support of the claim that Mr F Good could have been that visitor to the chemist, M J G Ritchie described him in the Dundee Evening Post of the 8th December 1902 as “one of the pioneers of the indiarubber-lined racket. Mr. Good puts a marvellous amount of top spin on all his strokes…”. And finally, he lived in Putney!

In 1901 Frederick Good (born in Bridport, Dorset, at the end of 1876) was living with his parents and four younger siblings at Wynnstay (now Lyle Park), 57 Putney Hill. By 1911, he had married and had two children, had followed his father Alfred into Journalism, and was still residing in Putney (at 16 Holmbush Road). Oh yes, and one of those siblings was Kate (born early 1878 in London), and another was Gregory Beaconsfield (born mid-1881, also in London). A table tennis family?!

Fact or Fiction? Given the amount of experimentation at the time with racket types and their covering materials, the idea is not inconceivable that someone could have come up independently with the idea of using the cash mat. But that in itself would not have justified Montagu’s 1936 claim that they were the inventor of the rubber-lined bat (although in a footnote he did acknowledge that in 1902 “two patents for a rubber racket” were “registered from as far apart as London and Belfast”). [These would have been from Frank Bryan (25276, 11 Dec 1901) and William Laird (1573, 21 Jan 1902) respectively.] But did it actually happen as described? There is no evidence for a date for the pharmacy visit or when the racket was first used in a tournament. There is no actual evidence that it ever happened as described (many years later) by Ivor Montagu! With regard to the last statement, I find it strange that such a newsworthy event doesn’t seem to have been picked up by the news-hungry reporters of the time, as I have not yet found any contemporary reference! And if it did happen, there is only circumstantial (although fairly convincing) evidence that the innovator was Frederick Good!!

When and where? Did this happen out of the blue because of a headache, or had Mr Good seen Arnold Parker’s suggestion and gone looking for such a covering? If the latter the earliest it could have been would have been early February, which is also the time when he won the Gentlemens’ Singles at Westminster. So that fits with the statement that he practised for the weekend and then won the imminent tournament, but he didn’t in the final beat Arnold Parker (or any champion). And although he was described as having improved, no mention was made of his racket! The London Championships later in the year would have given him more chance to read Parker’s book, more opportunity to spot one of the new rubber rackets by then on the market (perhaps thinking he could do better by manufacturing his own), and possibly more chance for practice. And I assume that this event was regarded as the more prestigious (or were all events at the Aquarium considered, as described by Montagu, “great”?), and included that double triumph over an England champion.

Conclusion: Failing to find any reports from local Putney and Westminster newspapers of the time confirming the episode, I believe that it is a good human story for the book, based on a number of separate facts, all weaved together with a little artistic licence thrown in (twenty years later). But I would be very happy to discover otherwise!

With thanks to Günther Angenendt for the text from the Ivor Montagu book; and to fellow researcher Jota Ito for his simple “When did the story originate” question which prompted a more thorough research into the subject!

16 EARLY PIRATED IMAGES By Jorge Arango Continuation This is the sixth article of my series about early pirated images.

23. TUCK POSTCARDS

Above left: A postcard from a 6-card Tuck series. Above right: Another Tuck postcard. Below: An illustration card, with a pirated image.

24. FIRST OPEN PING PONG TOURNAMENT

Left: Image from the first open Ping-Pong tournament, held at the end of 1901 (Alan Duke, TTC 80.) Right: An image from a German magazine, presented as it would be from the first Berliner Ping Pong tournament (held in November 1902.) In a future article, I will consider this publication.

17 25. FASHION 1

Above: An image from the Steve Grant’s book “Ping Pong Fever”. Below: Two images from The Evening Star, May 24, 1902. As these last images are more detailed, the Steve Grant’s image is a pirated one.

18 26. FASHION 2. PING PONG DRESS

Left: An image from the Steve Grant’s “Ping Pong Fever.” The other two images are from The Evening Star, May 4, 1902 and The Omaha Daily Bee, Respectively. The text accompanying the Evening Star image is the following: “To any one who desires to see the ping-pong dress at its best, attention must be directed to the green and white foulard with the ball pocket of stitched white suede gown hanging on either hip. The skirt of this gown is in all respects conventional save in the folded triple box pleats that run down the inner line of either hip. These pleats hang close when the wearer heels together, and they spread to give her longest step full freedom. The waist is, to all intents and purposes, a shirt waist with a chemisette of white taffeta that is stitched with green, and yoked in at the top. A flaring collar of oak lead green taffeta falls upon the shoulders, and this good color is repeated on the cuffs of the half sleeves and forms the belt. Straps and bindings of stitched white taffeta and big greenish mother-of-pearl buttons, with a belt buckle of the same, are the only other decorative materials used on this distinctively graceful little suit.”

As the description of the dress is more detailed in the Evening Star article, I think this would be the original one. On the other hand, it is interesting to note the color of the dress in the Grant’s article is red, while that of the Evening Star is green,

19 27. FASHION 3. PING PONG COSTUME

Above: Images from the Steve Grant’s book “Ping Pong Fever.” Below: images from The Ottumwa Courier.

20 28. FASHION 4. THE PING PONG GIRL

The Ping Pong Girl. Omaha Daily Bee, July 13, 1902 and The Evening Star, July 12, 1902. Only one day of difference; perhaps, both images were copied from another one!

29 THE PING PONG GIRLS

21 PING PONG CORSETS. Here I present some corsets images which are not pirated, but are related with the ping pong fashion. More fashion images can be found in the Steve Grant’s book “Ping Pong Fever.”

22 Oct. 25, 1902 Kabo

30 THE PING PONG GIRL IN TRAINING

The Republic, July 27, 1902

23 The Sunday Call, Nov. 09, 1902.

24 31 NOTHING NEW TO HIM

Topeka State Journal, August 09, 1902 and Fort Worth Register, June 22, 1902 (Steve Grant’s book “Ping Pong Fever. Both images must be pirated ones. To be continued

25 The Xylonite Works at Brantham, Essex by Gerald Gurney

From the Essex County Standard, February 1902:

One of the most mysterious manufactories in the world is at Brantham, near Mistley, in Essex. No stranger is allowed to set foot within the Xylonite Works there. Enormous quantities of strange articles of various kinds are constantly dispatched from these unpretentious buildings. But secrets will ooze out, in spite of any amount of hermetical sealing, and I hear that these works re, and have been for some time, engaged in an incessant attempt to cope with the public mania for ping-pong.

The Brantham Works, it is said, have practically a monopoly of the manufacture of ping-pong balls - so far as this country is The labs at Brantham Works, where concerned - and it is appalling to think how much of the Margaret Thatcher once worked happiness of millions of English people depends upon the existence of this factory and the exertions of its workers. Tens of thousands of homes might be desolate if, by any untoward accident of fire, flood, or other evil agency, the works at Brantham were to cease their daily output of ping-pong balls.

It is stated that 30,000 gross of these ping-pong balls are produced at Brantham every week. This means 4,320,000 balls, and if strung together they would make a line some 93 miles (150 km) in length. But as it takes nearly 300 ping-pong balls to weigh a pound (454 kg), the weight of these 4,320,000 balls is not much more than six tons (5,443 kg). These little arithmetical problems are very easy. But who can calculate the tremendous quantity of muscular effort, human excitement, and weird noises which these 4,320,000 balls will cause before they have finished their earthly career?

Footnote from Gerald:

You may be surprised to hear that Margaret Thatcher, later to become Prime Minister, worked (from 1947 to 1951) as a research chemist at BX Plastics, where she was described, by the company’s technical director, as “very conscientious, hard working, but not overly popular with her colleagues”. But the production of ping-pong balls The Brantham Works factory, also known as British had, I think, long ceased. Does anyone Xylonite, British Industrial Plastics, BX Plastics & Wardle know how long? Storeys, closed in 2007. Photos by Adam Slater 26 THE FOLEY CHINA by Alan Duke

Following the Editor’s update about Foley Ping- Pong porcelain (TTH 86/7), and his subsequent plea for further information, whilst I’m afraid that I can’t report finding any more of his wished-for items (let alone a full tea-set!), I can add a little knowledge about the Design itself.

As briefly listed (together with a small image of the design) in TTC 73/12, the application for what became Registered Design No. 391255, described as a “Set (pattern of Ping Pong players)”, was received on 20th May 1902. It was entered in the Register the following week, and announced in the Patent Office Journal of 11th June. It had been submitted by Wileman and Company (Pottery Manufacturers), The Foley Potteries, Staffs, and consisted of what was really six separate illustrations shown in a circular arrangement (perhaps representing a plate). But from what has been found so far, it would appear that only one of those illustrations was actually used:

The other five are shown below, and top left and right.

27 28 29 30 31 32 Chinese Table Tennis Posters - a Summary, by Chuck Hoey

China has a rich heritage of large and colorful posters used to promote healthy ideals, exercise and friendship through sport. These were published from the 1940s onwards, sometimes referred to as propaganda posters, and there are many examples with a Table Tennis scene or leitmotif, mostly from the 1970s. Some of these posters have already appeared in the History Journal, and now I’d like to present a summary. I encourage our readers to send photos of other such posters, to expand our knowledge base. The website chineseposters.net presents a wide variety of topical posters, some available for reproduction. Typically the posters are c. 60x38 cm. Enjoy!

Poster celebrating Rong Guotuan’s victory in the 1959 World Championships Men’s Singles, the first World Championship title for China in any sport. 33 1965 World Table Tennis Championships, Ljubljana

1972 After class activities

34 1964 Young Girls, Go Forth & Play Table Tennis!

1970s Children train Strengthen Training, Enhance Physique 35 1972 Table Tennis Spreads Friendship

1973 The Silver Ball Spreads Friendship 36 Two posters from the 1973 Asian African Latin American Friendship Invitational Tournament

37 Another poster from the 1973 AAA Friendship For the Afro Asian Table Tennis Friendship Invitational. These images were also produced Invitational Tournament in postcard format.

Premiere Zhou with the athletes 38 1975 Sports for Good Health

1982 Train Body, Participate in Out of School Activities 39 There are several movie posters as well featuring Table Tennis.

Modern posters are also abundant, often produced to promote a tournament, the World Championships, or Olympic Games, sometimes showing a top player. These are not included in this survey.

We end with a very familiar poster, showing Chairman Mao playing Table Tennis, supposedly in Shanghai. This image has been mass produced in many formats and different sizes. Be careful if you are considering a purchase of this image labeled ‘vintage’. Most are not original, but are more recent reproductions often found on eBay. They vary widely in quality and cost, and are sometimes available to order in any size.

Chuck

Modern postcard of Chairman Mao playing Table Tennis

Large version on silk brocade

40 Philatelic Update

Blue meter for the 19�� Sport Games of Jiangsu, China, 23.9.2018

Blue meter from the 39�� edition of the Men’s Word Cup event , held in Paris 19-21 October 2018.

34th All India Postal Table Tennis Tournament hosted by Himachal Pradesh Circle from 24.09.2018 to 28.09.2018

From the French TT philatelic collectors comes news of this personalized stamp Commemorating the 2019 French Championships in Le Mans, 1-3.3.2019

41 “Read All About It” – PART 4 (December 1901) by Alan Duke Daily Express 28 November 1901 The illustration is the same as that used in Ayres and Davenport advertisements [TTH 85/34 and 45; TTH 84/28]. THAT PING-PONG FAD. –––––––––––––––––– Illust. Sporting & Dramatic News 30 Nov. 1901 PLAYERS EXCITED OVER THE AQUARIUM CONTESTS. For table-tennis players, Spiers and Pond have a new and ––––––– excellent arrangement for fixing the poles without metal Players of Ping-Pong (table tennis it appears is the clasps, which are found to injure tables. Of course, table- technical name) are flocking to enrol themselves in the tennis is the proper name for Ping-Pong. Another great First Table Tennis Tournament, which will commence at boon in connection with the game is a ball finder. It is a the Royal Aquarium on December 11, and continue until little cup on a long stick, into which the ball fits and by December 14. which it is lifted, thus saving endless fatiguing and If the contests cannot all be decided by that date the demoralising stooping and grovelling after these nimble Tournament will be continued. little celluloid balls. “Ping-Pong” has not died the natural death so many [TTC 81/45] people predicted for it, but the game is increasingly played. “We have had hundreds of applications, said Mr. Ritchie to an ‘Express’ representative yesterday. “The Tournament will be played on the American system, that is, all the players meet each other. “We have reserved the north-west gallery for the games, and there will be eight tables each 9ft. by 5ft. “Each table is allowed a ‘run’ of 22ft. by 9ft., which is a good margin. “Our prizes will be very handsome, and the Society also Ireland’s Saturday Night 30 November 1901 proposes to present a challenge cup for the Ladies’ Table Tennis Championship of London. “From the quantities of correspondence I have received I think that the game has come to stay.” Whitstable Times 30 November 1901 A further report on the above event also provided details of the Committee: C. P. Dixon, Cambridge University,––C. G. Eames, Streatham Common Table Tennis Club,––W. Harrison, Cavendish T. T. Club,––E. F. Long, Chiswick T. T. Club,––A. H. Petch, Upper Clapton T. T. Club,––M. J. G. Ritchie, Queen’s Club,––S. T. Whitemore, Bloomsbury House T. T. Club. Illustrated London News 30 November 1901

O the man who has been knocking a little gutta-percha ball over a bumpy piece of territory during eight sunshiny hours of the day, chess may come as a natural recreation with the approach of nightfall; but it can boast few charms for the great desk-chained portion of the community. By all means let those who have been exerting the body give The caption, bottom right above, reads : their mental furniture a chance when they get home–– Table Tennis. Society’s New Game. A Large Stock Kept. such chances are abundant––but when a dank November Sets Complete, 4/6, 7/6, 10/6, 13/6, 21/- Bats, Vellum or Gut, 3/- each. Balls, 1/3 Dozen. evening sets in, how and where are the brain-fagged majority to find the exercise so essential to their health

42 EARLY NEWSPAPER ARTICLES and happiness? The old-fashioned round games have contest proceeded the one cried “Ping” as it sent a nasty gone out, and many of the new ones belong to the genus one into the corner of the table, and the other retorted “wusser.” The indoor golf game, regarded as an athletic “Pong” on making a clever backhand recovery to pursuit, is a bitter mockery, and hasn’t enough excitement “Ping’s” discomfiture. Then came stringed racquets–– in its composition to make the most enthusiastic follower miniatures of those used on the lawn––and finally (in the of the real game swear once in the whole of an eighteen- “Table Tennis” varieties of the game) wooden ones are hole round. “Tiddlewinks” impresses me as a puerile being adopted by reason of their inanity utterly incapable of imparting muscle; “Bridge” durability and comparative silence; must be set down as unsuited to the financial status of the for even the players themselves, masses; and billiards can only be played by the average unlike those who affect the violin, person at the sacrifice of home influences and the hazard cornet, or trombone, have begun to of the influence alcoholic. A reduction to miniature of a be aweary of their self-made music. popular outdoor game has solved the problem, and “Ping “Ping Pong” has come to Belfast, Pong” is consequently all the rage today. With an and come to stay…[Results were ordinary parlour table instead of smooth-shaved lawn, given of a tournament recently held bubbly little celluloid spheres vice the big rubber balls in in the Exhibition Hall, the “first of flannel waistcoats, a tiny net, and racquets to match, any dimensions held in Belfast”, “Ping Pong” can be played in any room of respectable attracting over 500 entries.]…In the size, furnishing, as the “Pingist” or “Ponger” will soon present day craze for feverish excitement “Ping Pong” discover, ample exercise. There is more honest exertion seems destined to supplant the shooting gallery, the bran in recovering the balls from bag, and even the hat trimming competition in public hiding places under sofa, favour. …[Details were provided regarding equipment, cheffonier [a tall chest of and basic guidance given on the method of play and drawers], and bookcase than in an scoring.]... It was not played in Belfast to any extent until average Rugby cup-tie. But March last, but Mr. Bleakley*, Athletic Stores, Bridge omitting this physical exercise Street and Bedford Street, assures me that since then his from consideration––it is too firm have disposed of nearly much like real labour––“Ping 2,000 sets of “Ping Pong” and Pong” provides a liver-stimulant “Table Tennis,” and 500 gross–– of the most effective and 72,000––celluloid balls. Nearly exhilarating kind. It is lawn- all the golf clubs have taken it up, tennis without a lawn; and the and it is played in the Ulster and mahogany battlefield has no “courts” marked out upon its Cliftonville Pavilions, as well as shiny surface. But the absence of courts signifies no that of the N.I.C.C. …..Recently corresponding abolition of courtship, and “love” may be I slipped into the Bar Room at cried in the telescopic version of the game as loudly (and the County Courthouse during be cultivated as well), when nimble feet beat Brussels the progress of the assizes, and carpets instead of springy turf. The origin of the tennis found two learned counsel game is, like the paternity of Jeames de La Pluche [a engrossed in the game––they Thackeray character], “wrapped in mistry,” but if I can naturally affected the parchment trust a somewhat erratic memory one English Prince had kind of racquet. The “Ping” soprano and the “Pong” the honour of being slain in its service, and at a time contralto may be heard in their staccato duet as one when a certain King Henry fell out with an uncertain passes through any residential part of the city. For a long Dauphin one of them sent to the other the insulting reply time to come the game will be an indispensable feature of ––“A tun of tennis balls, my liege!” I scarcely know bazaars and parties, a necessary part of club furniture, and why, but the other person took this as a withering insult, a treasured home possession; it is more than likely to lead and blood was shed over it. “Ping Pong” being a modern to the formation of Leagues, and perhaps in the future we indoor version of the game, its history does not date so may have professional “Pongers” and international far back; still it will surprise many to learn that the name contests. FRANC. [* See also 20 December.] figured in price-lists three or four years ago, seeing that London was largely proof against its fascination up to last Western Daily Press 2 December 1901 winter. Originally, the indoor tennis game, possessing the prettier alternative title of “Gossima,” was played with a rubber ball, which, however, proved too lively, and in time gave place to the xylonite or celluloid ball, already referred to. “Ping Pong” and “Gossima” are the registered titles of Messrs. J. Jaques and Son, Limited, and Hamley Brothers, London, and this being the case I must crave pardon where reference is made under such a heading to “Table Tennis,” the name which other athletic caterers have adopted. No one who has seen––or rather heard––the game will ask why it was dubbed “Ping Pong.” Vellum racquets were long in vogue, and as each

43 EARLY NEWSPAPER ARTICLES The Globe 3 December 1901 Pong, although it is exactly the same thing in all but name. The well-known firm of toy manufacturers, who have registered the name, which, of course, was suggested by the sound of the celluloid ball as it passed from wood to parchment and back again, declare that Ping Pong was suggested entirely by lawn tennis; that If all the manufacturers tell us be true, Ping Pong has some folk on a winter’s evening took down their racquets already passed the Rubicon of the craze, and has settled and passed the time in sending the balls over a barrier of down into the security of a scientific game, hedged round books set up in the centre of the table. The idea with all the pains and penalties of match rules. A new suggested possibilities (the first nets were fixed on game is something like a fever; it has its well-defined broom-handles and battledores were used as racquets), it stages. Ping Pong has successfully run the gauntlet of was brought to the firm’s notice, and gradually the game ridicule, although the superior and corpulent person still developed until it reached its present stage. Nothing like receives the name with a sneer. “Punch” has joked it in finality has yet been attained in respect of racquets and vain, and it will even survive the fun which Dan Leno balls, although the makers claim that the vellum-covered and Herbert Campbell may be expected to extract from a form maintains its position over the gut-strung racquet, “set” with the celluloid balls on the roof of Blue Beard’s which is an attempt to approach more nearly to lawn Palace at pantomime time. Some one has said that what tennis conditions, as is also the introduction of the Suburbia does to-day Belgravia will do to-morrow. It is, covered ball. as a matter of fact, generally the other way about, but in An indication of the unsettled condition as to a standard the case of Ping Pong, it is difficult to decide whence form of racquet may be gathered from the fact that at the came the inspiration. All-England tournament to be held at Westminster in a There is no doubt the game has reached a stage when it week or so, any kind of racquet will be allowed, and a has to be reckoned with among the serious pastimes of a player with vellum may find himself opposed to a local serious people. In the words of the advertisement, it champion wielding a gut-strung weapon. Certainly the “appeals to all classes and pockets,” and this is true, for a latter has this great advantage that the “ping” or the Ping Pong set can be obtained at prices varying from “pong,” whichever the vellum bat is responsible for, is something under eighteenpence to over £7. And then, eliminated, and that means a reduction of more than half too, it is an easy game––up to a point. The majority of the irritating noise associated with the game. Many people possess a table; those who do not can now be players hold the racquet quite near to the drum, and supplied with one specially made for the game, “with legs already the handle has been shortened by more than one- complete,” at the modest price of £4 18s. 6d. The half and made considerably thicker. As we have said, question of the control of the ball has become the burning Ping Pong is easily learned––up to a point. A few question of the game––indeed, there are those who minutes will suffice to get an idea of distances and declare that on its solution depends its very existence. strength of hit, but that the game may be played with true Here, again, the manufacturer has sought to come to the scientific skill, only to be acquired after long practice, is a assistance of the Ping Pong player, but, unfortunately, truth which any who doubt will see demonstrated at the with but poor success. He has produced an implement Westminster tournament. jointed like a fishing rod, and having at the end a small Hackney Gazette 4 December 1901 net somewhat suggestive of the receptacle aggressively displayed at our front windows when the Friendly INDOOR AMUSEMENT. Societies go in collection procession on Sunday –––––––––––♦–––––––––––– The new and popular game of table tennis has evidently afternoons. “An easy means of collecting balls off the come to stay, and improvements are already being floor without stooping to the ground,” is its attractive devised by which it may be rendered more enjoyable. description, but, as has been very pertinently remarked, it One of these is a new patent net, in the use of which table reveals no capacity to grope under couches or search cramps, clamps and poles are entirely dispensed with. behind coal-scuttles. An arrangement has now been Some of the advantages of the new arrangement are that made which fixes with rubber suction discs to the it can be erected in a moment; it is firm and rigid and will undersides of a table carrying a little net to hold the balls not injure the table, whilst it can be adjusted to any width. not in use. But, of course, this is a convenience for a ball The net may be obtained from the sole agent for the not in play; but the man who can devise some means of County of London, John Piggott, Cheapside and Milk- making Ping Pong playable without the back-breaking street, E.C., the retail price being only 3s. 6d. stoops and undignified grovellings incidental to the recovery of missing balls will have done as much for the And from the Pall Mall Gazette of 6th December: game as the man who discovered it. A NEW “PING-PONG” NET. And this leads to the vexed point as to who really did …..John Piggott, of Cheapside, has invented a net.….. It discover it. We have heard that it came from India, that is made of wire, and stands on the table without the help the “ennui,” or ingenuity, of the officers’ mess is of screws or strings. When not in use it can be folded up responsible for it, and that champagne corks for balls, quite flat. A white tape is worked in the top of the net, with photographs for bats, constituted the wherewithal of giving a direct line of sight. the players, who at that early stage did not consider the [Once again, I could find no references under this name, thus it intervening net a necessity. That may be true as far as might also be one of the Abandoned applications listed in Part 3 “table tennis” is concerned, but table tennis is not Ping for Buchanan. See also 21st December.]

44 EARLY NEWSPAPER ARTICLES The Globe 5 December 1901 only as a game but as an ornament, the latter being two cute little terriers having a game all to themselves. A preview of the Royal Aquarium tournament included the following details: Dundee Evening Telegraph 7 December 1901 A very large entry has been received, including the names of such well-known players of lawn tennis as H. Roper Barrett, George Greville, C. H. Martin, C. G. Eames, C. P. Dixon, C. J. Glenny, J. E. Kingsley, A. H. Greening, T. H. Oyler, and E. D. Robinson. A large number of entries has also been received from ladies, and Launceston Elliott, the well-known athlete and winner of the Greek Games at Athens, and his wife, are among the competitors. The tables in use [eight, on trestles,] will be 9ft. by 5ft., unmarked except for a [¾in.] white line round the edge. The balls will be uncovered celluloid––any racquet, gut, vellum or wood, will be available providing the playing surface does not exceed 6in. by 7in. The games will be probably 20 points up, except in the finals, when 30 points will be the game. Sunderland Daily Echo 11 December 1901 Portsmouth Evening News 5 December 1901 “Ping-Pong” Rules Should Be Formulated. If a name ever made a game, “Ping-Pong” certainly caused the success of the indoor pastime more soberly known as “Table-Tennis.” The latter term, says the World, is better suited, therefore, for championship purposes. A body should be formed to regulate the game, as to methods of scoring, whether as in tennis or in the “Cavendish” twenty points method, and also with respect to the racquets to be used. At present the ingenuity of athletic outfitters has produced a weird collection of vellum, string, cane, wooden, and aluminium weapons very different from the original warming-pan pattern. Dundee Evening Telegraph 12 December 1901 Bexhill-on-Sea Observer 7 December 1901 PING-PONG TOURNAMENT. There are over 250 entries for the ping-pong tournament at the Royal Aquarium. “Until this tournament was organised,” said Mr. Ritchie to an ‘Express’ representative, “I had no idea the game had such a hold on the public, nor that there were so many ‘champions.’ “The very first lady who sent in her entry was declared by her father to be a ‘champion,’ and one impossible to beat. “Since then we have received entries from a large number of invincible ladies. “The work entailed has been tremendous, and I feel All players of PING-PONG will find sure it will be impossible to get through to the final ties the ‘BUNTY’ DETACHABLE TABLE by next Saturday; but we shall have to go on till they are TENNIS POCKET indispensable. polished off.” Instantly Attached to any Table. Experts consider Miss V. Eames to be the best player in Price 1/6 the Set of Two, post free, the country, but she will find some difficulty in beating Mrs Elliott, Mrs Vesey, and Mrs Glenny. Direct from Mrs Elliott is the wife of Mr Launceston Elliott, the F. J. PARSONS, Ltd., amateur strong man. 57, Devonshire Road, Mrs Glenny is the wife of the well-known lawn tennis Bexhill. player.

East and South Devon Advertiser 7 December 1901 Daily Express 12 December 1901 CHRISTMAS AT THE SHOPS. PING-PONG TOURNEY. ––––––––– –––––––––––––––––– Among items on display at Mr Greenwood’s shops at 35 WOOD RACKETS PROMINENT IN THE “Ping pong,” AQUARIUM BATTLE. and 37 Queen Street, Newton Abbot, was: ––––––– which game is the rage of society, is to the front––not

45 EARLY NEWSPAPER ARTICLES The table-tennis tournament promises to be an not the fastest––game of the evening; and if he becomes institution. The first ever held opened yesterday at the champion no doubt flannels (very open at the neck) will Royal Aquarium, and the number of people who stood become the costume de rigueur de ping-pong. There was round the green tables ranged in the north-west gallery a gentleman who actually played in evening dress, with a and applauded a smart stroke whenever it came along high collar and a real white tie, tied all by himself. At the sufficiently attested the popularity of the exhibition. …. next table a puffy little man performed in a shirt of It was interesting to note the wide variety of styles. income-tax paper blue. Then there was the frock coat, This variety is, of course, natural in a new game, where the claw-hammer of commerce (and the Stock no professionals have yet arisen to strain down Exchange), the cycle pants, and the dancing pumps individualism to method, and reduce ping-pong to a (together); sand shoes and an American shirt-waist. science. No doubt we shall have them later. THE CORRECT REMARK But yesterday there were budding champions, who among the knowing ones appeared to be––“I say, that “served” from every point of the compass, and others, chap in the cork-soled slippers has got a serve that is whose untiring efforts to impart screw to the ball would positively O.T.” have been admirable if there had been any visible result And the correct reply to that was––“Warm, me boy–– other than missing the ball. very warm.” Most of the play, however, was good and interesting. It was all very interesting as they pinged and they Some of the contestants used wooden rackets with ponged as if the fate of nations hung on a single stroke. excellent results. Vellum was more seen, but the gut But it was saddening, for the pale squint of the celluloid racket was only conspicuous by its absence. soul was in evidence everywhere. Play will continue to-day. Brighton Gazette 14 December 1901 The Sportsman 13 December 1901 PING-PONG is undoubtedly the latest craze. Whether it TABLE TENNIS OR PING PONG. will supersede bridge or poker in the drawing room I A meeting of the leading ping pong players and cannot say; but there is every sign that it is the representatives of prominent clubs will be held in London fashionable amusement of the hour. Just as I have known in the course of next week for the purpose of establishing men who once scoffed at golf as the sport of fools a Ping Pong Association, which will have for its objects become themselves its most enthusiastic patrons, so the the revision and adoption of a uniform set of rules, the young dandies of the drawing room, who were at first affiliation of existing clubs, and the arranging of an inclined to treat Ping-Pong as the amusement of babies annual championship. and little girls, are now devoting themselves to table tennis with all the ardour of willing converts. I must Dundee Evening Telegraph 13 December 1901 confess that Ping-Pong is very pretty as now being played PINGING-PONGING. in the tournament at the Royal Aquarium. To begin with, ––––––––– the room is bare of furniture, and there is no perpetual EXTRAORDINARY GRAVITY OF AN diving after the balls under chairs and sofas, with AMAZING PERFORMANCE. occasional intervals for flirtation behind the curtains, etc., The ping-pong tournament now going on at the London etc. It is a smartly contested game, in which graceful Aquarium presents a vivid illustration of how deep a man posturing and very neat wrist action are features worthy can sink into the slough of terrific earnestness, and how of admiration. In order to put the game on a thorough his spirit can be irrevocably intertwined with the sportsmanlike basis, a Ping-Pong Association is in course irresponsible and jerky wanderings of the ghost of a golf of formation, which will regulate all competitions. ball. It is astonishing. Ping-pong has already produced a monument of itself. And that, says the “Star,” is THE PING-PONG FACE. TABLES may be Engaged for this fashionable Game, This fearsome Face glared from under the gaslights at 1/- each Person, including TEA. the Aquarium with a horrid Bedlamatic glaze, while the A PING PONG CLUB is in Course of Formation; gentleman’s tourney was being waged. You could see that a face, here and there, had once borne traces of gentle Oxford Times 14 December 1901 birth and amiability––even beauty. But the pains of ping- “Ping Pong” enthusiasts will hail with delight the pong had racked it into a pale squint. After you have invention of “The Bunty Detachable Ping Pong Pocket” learned to contest you learn to cuss. It is sad, when one for holding the balls. A dozen or less balls may be placed considers how eagerly the suburbs have taken up the in each pocket to commence play with, and by this means pastime. But last night several young gentlemen from it will be found that from four to six games can be played Brixton without stooping. The balls usually collect together in SAID NAUGHTY WORDS various corners, and so may be picked up together when when they were beaten by other young gentlemen from necessary with the one stoop. At the great table tennis Peckham. tournament at the Aquarium these pockets are being used; The ping-pong costume has not become definite yet. they are made to fit any table. Messrs. Parsons and Co., Combatants turned up last night in all sorts of garments. 34, Cumberland-market, London, N.W., are the patentees, One gentleman was in a complete set of flannels, very and the pockets can be obtained from them for the small open at the neck. He, by the way, played the safest––if sum of 1s. 6d. the pair. [See 7th December advert above.]

46 EARLY NEWSPAPER ARTICLES A lengthy review of the unlimited stock of materials at purpose of making a not very exhausting search for balls the “Civet Cat” toy establishment included “table tennis that have strayed, it is table tennis, and perfectly in all its latest developments, including a new racquet innocuous. But when the players wickedly endeavour to with a short, round handle, for handicap tournament “place” the ball on the bevel of the table, or over the players and such experts, and new ball-pickers, looking interstice between the wooden sections, or when, as in the like telescopes”. tournament at the Royal Aquarium, trained exponents play themselves into a condition of physical collapse, The Daily Graphic 14 December 1901 then it is ping-pong, and calculated to produce, not only THE HISTORY OF PING PONG. moral degeneration, but some disease or other akin to the bicycle-back or the golf-elbow. No one appears to know who really invented Ping Pong. Ten years ago Messrs. Jaques and Son, Limited, Cheltenham Chronicle 14 December 1901 the well known manufacturers of games, adapted lawn tennis for indoor use. A little net was made to fix on a dining-room table, and vellum racquets and celluloid balls completed the set. Then the game was called “Gossima,” and the public would have none of it. After a time Messrs. Hamley suggested the name Ping Pong, and the original game is now known as Ping Pong or Gossima. At one time the whole game was registered, but the registration was allowed to run out, and now manufacturers copy Ping Pong, and call the copy Table Tennis. The two names “Ping Pong and Gossima” are, however, still registered, and the original game has been developed in various ways. This is the result of the enormous popularity of the game. Ping Pong began to “catch on” rather more than a year ago, and since then the sets have sold by the hundred thousand. Messrs. Jaques, who make the Ping Pong sets, told a representative of the DAILY GRAPHIC yesterday that just now the sales had fallen off slightly, but they were still selling an average of 1,500 sets of Ping Pong every day; three weeks ago the sales were 1,800 a day. These sets are of various kinds— to suit all pockets. You may buy a set for a shilling, or you may get a first-class set in a mahogany case for two guineas. If you do not wish to play on the dining-room Daily Express 14 December 1901 table you may buy a portable table specially made for Ping Pong—price ninety shillings. The surface of this PING-PONG TOURNEY SUCCESS. table has been specially prepared, the idea being to get –––––––––––––––––– the balls to “play” better than they do on a plain wooden ANOTHER ARRANGED FOR AT THE ROYAL AQUARIUM. table. ––––––– Wooden racquets are being introduced for two or three Ping-pong continues to be the star attraction at the reasons. With a wooden racquet you have to use more Royal Aquarium, where another series of interesting exertion than you do with a vellum racquet, but you get a contests was completed last evening. Eight different better command over the ball. The playing surface of the tables were kept going until after ten o’clock, and the wooden racquet is sandpaper, so that the balls may “bite.” galleries were well filled with enthusiastic spectators. Then there is the question of noise. When the game was A number of old-time tennis players were on the lists, first introduced players seemed to enjoy the “ping pong” and in the new table game they gave a good account of of the celluloid ball on the vellum racquet. Now there themselves. Possibly the most exciting contest of the seems to be a general desire to deaden that sound if evening was between Mr. G. Greville and Mr. E. B. possible––hence the introduction of the wooden racquet Good, whose table was surrounded by ping-pong experts. —which changes the “ping pong” to “tip tap.” Mr. Greville won by a close margin. …. So great is the interest in ping-pong that a large number Sunderland Daily Echo 14 December 1901 of entries have already been received for a second The Serious Side of Ping-Pong. tournament, which will be held January 8 to 11 at the Aquarium. It is becoming difficult to decide quite satisfactorily whether ping-pong is a harmless and innocent pastime or The Sportsman 16 December 1901 a dangerous and demoralising form of sport. As played th in the drawing-room, when the young gentleman who is In a letter to the Editor, dated 14 December, from M J G champion of West Brixton and his fair opponent tap the Ritchie, Hon. Sec. Table Tennis Association, Royal little celluloid ball gently to and fro across the net, and Aquarium, Westminster, London, he writes: take frequent and prolonged intervals for the alleged SIR.––It will be interesting to table tennis votaries to know that at a meeting of members of numerous table

47 EARLY NEWSPAPER ARTICLES tennis clubs, held with a view to protecting players, they exceptional rapidity. One lady used a racquet of nominated certain members present “The Table Tennis aluminium, but the metallic sound which it gave when in Association,” and I may mention it is already intimated contact with the ball was not pleasant, neither did the that leading clubs will affiliate. The next meeting of its results appear to justify the innovation. The most members will be held here at 7.30 p.m., on Tuesday next, practical result of the tournament was the inauguration of the 17th inst., after which I shall hope to be in a position a Table Tennis Association, which will authoritatively to give further information. settle the rules and regulations of the game. Sheffield Daily Independent 17 December 1901 The Sportsman 18 December 1901 THE PROGRESS OF “PING PONG.” Is the pastime officially known as table tennis, but unofficially and universally called “ping pong,” about to take a definite and permanent place among English The Sporting Life 18 December 1901 indoor pastimes? When it was first introduced, social prophets gave it a few months of popularity. It has now THE PING-PONG ASSOCIATION. ––––––––– been with us for many months; and, instead of vanishing A meeting of ping-pong players, including the away and giving place to some other mild drawing-room representatives of several clubs, was held on Monday recreation, it is now establishing itself and settling down evening at 8 and 9, Queen-street, Cheapside [“The Golden for a long stay. A ping pong association has been Fleece”], to consider the advisability of forming a Ping- formed, and this association intends to draw up rules and Pong Association. Mr. C. Hunter, who was voted to the dictate prohibitions in the systematic manner which is chair, said that the object of the association which it was characteristic of Englishmen in their amusements, but not proposed to form would be (1) to adopt uniform rules, so characteristic of them in their serious occupations. and to decide all doubtful and disputed questions; (2) to Moreover, a ping pong tournament on an extensive scale promote and affiliate all approved Ping Pong Clubs; (3) has been held in London; and ping pong tournaments on a to elect a managing committee, and appoint suitable smaller scale are being held in many other places, for the referees and handicappers for tournaments; and (4) to game has made its way from one end of the country to the hold an annual championship tournament, at which other. It looks as if ping pong had come to stay; and this affiliated clubs can compete. In the course of a few need not be particularly regretted, for there are many remarks Mr. Hunter referred to the enormous popularity worse games. With some of the older indoor recreations of the game. It was played all over England, and it was it cannot be compared; but it is harmless, it demands a going to America, while it had been started in France and certain amount of skill, and it provides considerable Australia. It was very important that a game so widely amusement. Ping pong associations and tournaments played should have a proper Association to conserve the confer upon the game a dignity which it hardly deserves, interests of players, [to] command their confidence, to and which it wears rather ludicrously; but the ordinary hold tournaments, and, above all, to have a proper set of ping pong player will not trouble himself or herself about rules. Mr. G. Washington Gray moved that an these elaborations. As a society craze, ping pong will Association, to be called “The Ping Pong Association,” have its day and cease to be. Circumstances, however, be formed. This was unanimously agreed to. The point to its continuance as an agreeable expedient for following gentlemen were elected a committee, with whiling away a wet afternoon. power to add to their number: ––Messrs. G. Washington Sheffield Daily Telegraph 17 December 1901 Gray, F. J. Padgett, F. C. Dixon, H. Cobb, Owen Roberts, and C. Hunter. It was decided that the annual It is to be hoped that the great success of the table subscription of the affiliated clubs should be three tennis tournament at the Royal Aquarium will not have shillings, and that, with a view to promoting the interests the effect of multiplying championships, and bringing of the game, a championship tournament should be held about a plethora of other tournaments. That the game has in London, or some other suitable centre, every year. Mr. come to stay the enthusiasm which the display engendered at the Aquarium made pretty manifest. The O. Roberts was elected hon. secretary [although two days competitors themselves emanated from all classes, and later, the Yorkshire Post reported the hon. secretary as that the spectators included even those of Royal rank was Mr G Washington Gray, 38 Golden Square, London, W]. also a conclusive factor. Mr. Ritchie has arranged –––––––––––––––––––––– Laugh at the idea as some may and do, there is no doubt another next month, but he is not alone, for Mr. Robert Ping Pong, or Table Tennis, has come to stay. Already a Newmann has now announced a similar tournament at the Championship Meeting has been held, and it says much Queen’s Hall on Boxing Day, with valuable prizes for for the value of the pastime that notable lawn tennis winners. ––––––––––––––––– players excelled thereat. My attention has been drawn to The tournament demonstrated conclusively that the the fact that its devotees are so numerous that two vellum racquets are much inferior to those of more solid separate associations––the Ping Pong and Table Tennis material. Many of those engaged attributed their defeat ditto––have been formed as governing bodies. I agree to the sagging of the vellum of their racquets rather than that this is a pity; either one or the other, please. Ping to their own deficiencies. The most successful players Pong is doubtless the most popular conventional phrase, used racquets of wooden foundation, and with these yet this savours o’er much of an infant’s pastime. We weapons they were able to serve and return with have tennis proper and lawn tennis, hence table tennis is

48 EARLY NEWSPAPER ARTICLES by far the most fitting and Euphonic. By the way, one cater for all pockets from the modest shilling to the invariably hears the new game sneared at in different aristocratic sovereign, and some very handsome sets are ways, but ignorance is literally bliss in this connection. sent out. The position is not to be defended until the game has been learned; then it defends itself. Let those who doubt New York Tribune 20 December 1901 this try one game with an expert as antagonist! Odds on he will feel and look like an ass. Yorkshire Evening Post 18 December 1901 PING-PONG IN LEEDS.––The Leeds Y.M.C.A. have now a powerful ping-pong club. They have had some exciting individual merit competitions. The making of ping-pong rackets has become quite an important local industry. A certain cricket bat maker who expected to have a dull autumn has just turned out 36 gross of ping-pong rackets, and the demand is still far from being satisfied. Numerous ping-pong parties have been arranged in the city during the Christmas holidays. The following day’s paper added the information that: The “latest” baby’s rattle takes the form of a ping pong racquet, with a ball fixed to it. East Anglian Daily Times 20 December 1901

Will fit any table, no bother with strings or loose net, does not scratch the table, fixed in a second, no screws or clamps. See TTH 83/31-33 for other uses of this sketch. WOODEN RACQUETS, With or without sandpaper. Belfast News-Letter 20 December 1901 ––––––

Once again, see Buchanan (26 November)

Special attention is directed to the Stock of TABLE TENNIS OUTFITS. The New REGISTERED WOODEN RACQUET increases the interest of this popular game immensely. Hits the ball with unerring accuracy––cannot get out of order. ––––

The following day’s edition of the paper contained this report: THE ATHLETIC STORES, BRIDGE STREET. ….Besides furnishing requisites for every class of out and indoor games, they are the special agents for the The racquet referred to is the ‘Vulliamy’ (382481). patent wood triplex table tennis bat, which is a great Lincoln, Rutland & Stamford Mercury 20 Dec. 01 favourite with tennis players. All the articles enumerated ….. are offered at tempting reductions in prices. The NEW GAMES FOR THE CHRISTMAS SEASON.––Messrs. branch shop in Bedford Street is also stocked in a manner Woolley and Co., Ltd., Leonard-street, Finsbury, London, commensurate with the reputation of the larger the well-known manufacturers of Christmas games, are establishment. [See also 15 January 1902.] well to the fore this season with their productions. With This is almost certainly patent 26114, for which the PING PONG rapidly assuming the status of one of our application was registered on this same day (but later national pastimes it is but natural that the firm should turn th their attention to producing the necessary articles for abandoned). The first clue was given on 30 November, playing table tennis, which they inform us has quite in the article in Ireland’s Saturday Night, where a eclipsed everything else during the last 12 months. They reference was made to Mr Bleakley of the Athletic Stores.

49 EARLY NEWSPAPER ARTICLES One of the names on the patent application was Edwin C model. When the projected association proceeds to Blakley of Belfast. His name was often mis-spelt, even by consider the rules of the game the new net may well put Belfast Directories of the time (Bleakley, Blakely, and in its claims to be officially adopted, though its rival has once even as Edward!), but all listed him as a Merchant the great advantage of being in possession. [See 4 Dec.] at 6a Bedford Street and 9 Bridge Street. ––––––––––––––––––––– THE PING-PONG CRAZE. Worcestershire Chronicle 21 December 1901 T MIGHT BE STRAINING the accepted meaning of “Ping Pong” having been made fashionable and sporty I the word national, as applied to any occupation or by the fact that Royalty condescended to be present at the pastime, to give it to ping-pong, although the use of the Aquarium tournament, it is proposed to drop the name term in this connection would be strictly accurate, for under which the game leaped into popularity and to call unquestioned it is that, for the moment, no game is more it by the prosaic title of “table tennis.” People will universally played throughout the country than this. probably continue to call the game ping pong simply More than one excellent game has failed to make any because it is ping pong. Meanwhile prodigious effort is headway because its adoption would entail the being made to throw off the slur cast on the game by the abandonment of some other already firmly established envious reports that the successful handicaps and favourite, but in the case of ping-pong no such sacrifice is tournaments we hear of are promoted by the called for. Neither the hour at which it is usually played manufacturers of ping pong tools. A “Table Tennis nor the customary scene of operations has hitherto been Association” has been formed, which will take upon itself devoted to the practice of any active exercise in the to dogmatically settle the rules and regulations of the family circle, and it is not at all probable that anyone game, and it is understood that it will take the accustomed to seek physical relaxation once or twice championship tournament out of the hands of private each week in the gymnastic, fencing, or boxing class will speculators. allow that routine to be affected. The football, hockey, or lacrosse player, the golfer, the oarsman, and the athlete East Anglian Daily Times 21 December 1901 can all engage in their customary daily exercise without being disturbed by the fervour for ping-pong with which, TABLE TENNIS. as one may judge from the signs of the times, so many of We were the first to introduce this them are possessed. In the depth of the winter months, wonderful game to Ipswich. We were the first to make, and sell when darkness sets in at an early hour, many, on the wooden racquets. We are the first returning from the City, will find the ping-pong table too people you should visit, to select great a temptation to resist, and a few games will be complete sets, or separate posts, nets, played before dinner; but the accepted period for the racquets, balls, and every requisite. proper enjoyment of the game is between dinner and bed. OUR REGISTERED RACQUET Thus is carried out the excellent hygienic maxim “after Is an unprecedented success. Selling supper walk a mile,” for, of course, when the advice was in hundreds. Get one without delay, given dinner was a midday affair, and supper what is now and secure a place in the front rank dinner, though possibly less formidable. The public of players. yearning for billiards is by no means to be gauged by the ––––– number of people playing, so few are the facilities which present themselves under acceptable conditions to the population of the suburbs of large towns, which contain the great bulk of middle-class workers, and the case of dwellers in the smaller towns and the country is worse. The Field 21 December 1901 Given the facilities and billiards would be a widespread (The Country Gentleman’s Newspaper) family game, but a billiard room in every semi-detached NET FOR TABLE TENNIS. villa is as impossible as a private theatre. Without A NEW net, which has been submitted to us by Mr John suggesting that ping-pong, as a game, is in the remotest Piggott, of 117, Cheapside, has several advantages which manner comparable to billiards, it is, nevertheless, the may commend it to the favour of votaries of the parlour fact that, billiards being impossible to the ordinary pastime of the hour. Strictly speaking it is hardly a net at household, the new game steps in to satisfy a long-felt all, but rather a miniature hurdle of metallic wire, its craving for an evening amusement entailing physical rigidity being sufficient to enable it to stand on feet, so exercise of an inexacting nature. that its erection is the affair of a moment, and no clamps There is some suggestion of indecision as to the or poles are required. Being made in two sections, the net permanent name by which the game is to be known, the may be adjusted in width by causing one of these to alternative to ping-pong being table-tennis. Ping-pong is overlap the other, a hook being provided for the purpose the title bestowed by Mr James Gibb––in whom athletes of uniting the two parts. The feet are protected by rubber will recognise the celebrated amateur distance runner of bands, and cannot therefore injure the table. On the other the seventies––who is credited with the introduction of hand, it may be objected that a ball striking the rigid top the game, although we believe that a Mr Devonshire strand might be deflected to a greater extent than by the previously played a game with small indiarubber balls. top cord of a flexible net and in a different way. This is a Priority of title is not invariably a plea to be small matter, but if the game is to be taken seriously its recommended. If it took precedence of every other claim implements should in all such respects follow a standard we should be calling lawn tennis “sphairistike,” which

50 EARLY NEWSPAPER ARTICLES was the name given it by its introducer. But between battledore. That the parchment implement will die the these two names there is the very important difference hardest of deaths we may be sure, and it may be relied that the one was impossible, whereas the other caught on upon to linger on just as the uncovered ball and posts, at once. Whatever the doctors may decide upon as being with guy ropes, survive at lawn-tennis to this day, as classically correct, certain it is that ping-pong is the term though Mr J. M. Heathcote had never suggested the that will colloquially survive. For table-tennis the claim covered ball, and Cavendish posts were unheard of. is made that it is more exact as a definition, the game But an association is none the less needed, because it is being lawn-tennis adapted to a table; but in this the only by a recognised representative body that rules can be purists are wrong, for tennis is an altogether mis-applied formulated which will be universally respected. The term to the lawn game, though becoming general with all proper size for a match table is understood by most but tennis players. The historian in centuries to come, experts to be 9ft. by 5ft., standing 2ft. 6in. from the reading up the loose references to tennis, when lawn- ground, with right-angled edges. The net for such a table tennis is all the while meant, will be led to make the same is 6¾in. high, and, to prevent players returning balls faulty generalisations that are at the present time round the end of the posts without going over the net, that perpetrated with reference to the tennis of the Middle obstruction should be extended some distance beyond the Ages, the untenable assumption being that all the fifteeen table on either side. These are matters which need hundred courts which at one time existed in Paris were consolidating into rules confirmed by a governing body. full-sized. In the meantime it is noticeable that the At present there is no regulation as to the size of the ball amateur clubs, who are forming themselves into an or its colour. Anything but a white ball is the exception; association, are adopting ping-pong for their descriptive but when a player is opposed by one wearing a white title, going through the formality of obtaining the waistcoat, as happened at a recent competition, his permission of the owners of the name to use it. To some chance of seeing a white ball is materially reduced, and it may appear like a storm in a teacup. What is more he might reasonably claim to play with red ones. It was important than the title is the fact that the game has seized possibly with the object of confounding adversaries that a upon all classes and very nearly all ages, who will play at player provided himself with a bat made of a mirror. it under any name. Wherever human beings assemble These are matters that can be dealt with only by an there the ping and the pong of the vellum racket is heard; association. There is already talk of allowing the volley. and no place is now deemed inappropriate for a ping- Perhaps it is thought that by this means protracted rests pong table. No longer is the question asked, “do you play [rallies] will cease to be. Rests of one hundred and even ping-pong?” for, not being lame, halt, or blind, you do so two hundred strokes occur with cautious players, who as a matter of course––perhaps merely as a self-protective somehow triumph over the brilliant ones, and these are measure in many cases. Earnest bridge players are decidedly monotonous to spectators; but this only goes to delighted with the ping-pong craze, we believe, for it has prove our case as to the limits of the game. The volley relieved them of much of the butterfly element that might be effectual, but it is certain to be fatal to the balls, affected bridge merely because it was the fashionable unless some very different material to that employed is thing to do. These play ping-pong with much greater introduced. What the covered ball did for lawn-tennis the zest, and certainly with not less skill, because that would celluloid ball has done for ping-pong. Its adoption made be impossible. the game possible. Perhaps some one will learn how to Mention of an association raises the query whether the give the celluloid ball a longer life than it is likely to game is one that presents sufficient scope for enjoy in its present state if the volley is to be allowed; development to permit of its becoming the subject of and the fact is not to be ignored that for some time past a really serious competitions. We doubt it. It will be covered ball has been in use. within the recollection of metropolitan oarsmen how a This article contains only the second reference that I have certain lawn-tennis court at the back of a rowing club seen to ‘Mr Devonshire’, quite a while after the first, house at Putney was accused of sapping the vitals of the found by Steve Grant in The Echo of 9 May [TTH 86/24]. active members, who were driving the indiarubber ball to and fro instead of perfecting their style on the river. Weekly Irish Times 21 December 1901 Ping-pong will never offend to that extent. As a game for the young at country house parties it is bound to be Ping Pong––The Social Attractions of Ping Pong. Just as by the advent of “bridge” a lady might become a welcome; indeed, there, as at places of public favourite in the smartest society, provided she was a assemblage, such as “hydros,” it is already as much at finished player, says Sketch, so a young man of doubtful home as in the suburban family circle, but to make it the antecedents and a character whose prominent features are subject of championships is to load it with a burden chiefly negative, and who is destitute of prospects or which it cannot bear. As we have said, there is not influence, is fought over by the most reputable hostesses sufficient scope in the game. Already it has been in London if only a consummate master of ping-pong. discovered that a bat made of wood is the most efficient weapon wherewith to play the ball. These are being St Louis Republic (US) 22 December 1901 manufactured with an infinity of shapes to the handles according to the idea of the player. The bat has the Surprises in Toyland. recommendation of being much cheaper than the Games are numerous and include a table tennis that battledore and the racket, whilst, so long as the face is might well give delight to hours spent indoors. The kept free from dents, it will play the ball truly and not dining-room table would make an ideal court. with varying strength, as is so often the case with the

51 EARLY NEWSPAPER ARTICLES Yorkshire Evening Post 23 December 1901 The owners of the registered title of “ping-pong” state that during the past week or more they alone have A POINT IN PING-PONG LAW supplied at least 2,000 ping-pong sets a day. They could At a recent Ping-Pong competition, the winner wore a have sold three times the number if they had had the white waistcoat, which rendered the ball invisible to his stock. For months past they have been selling 10,000 sets opponent. Some authoritative ruling is needed to govern a week. Probably half a million sets is not beyond the such a case. Again, is it lawful to play with a bat made of mark reached by the sales for the year. The game is a mirror? What is the minimum of headroom to be popular in India, Australia, and America. allowed under the gasalier? –––––––––– Complaint is now made that the name of “ping-pong,” The Daily Graphic 23 December 1901 which has done so much to popularise the game, is ‘THE PREVAILING EPIDEMIC’ [TTC 65/21] vulgar, and those who take the pastime seriously want something more dignified. “Table-tennis” sounds all Daily Express 24 December 1901 right, but “rattle-bat,” which is another suggestion, is no PING-PONG AT THE SEASIDE. improvement surely. “Sphairistike,” the name which was given to the game [lawn tennis] by its introducer, is “out Clacton has recently opened an up-to-date winter of court”; it is ugly and inconvenient. garden, and not the least of the many attractions provided for visitors is a room for ping-pong. Daily Express 27 December 1901 –––––––––––––––––––– Mr. Arnold Parker, of the Hendon Ping-Pong Club, has PING-PONG POLITICS. addressed a letter to Mr. J. Ritchie, of the Westminster ––––––––––––––––––––––––––– RIVAL TACTICS AT A BOXING DAY Aquarium, making suggestions for the improvement of TOURNAMENT. the rules of the ping-pong championship. Mr. Parker –––––––––––––– suggests (a) that the tournament be a knock-out one, each Although there has been no open declaration of war match to be the best of three games of fifty points each; between the rival Ping-Pong-Table-Tennis Associations, or (b) an American tournament in sections, each game to hostilities of a kind have already broken out, and any be thirty points up, and the differences of points to be casual observer outside the Queen’s Hall yesterday could counted, not games won and lost; (c) adopt the ordinary not fail to have noticed signs of strife. system of scoring as used in lawn tennis. Outside the building were bold placards announcing to all the world and his wife that “The Ping-Pong Portsmouth Evening News 24 December 1901 Tournament” (by permission) was being held within the The phrase “ping-pong” is by no means new. In walls under the “Laws of the Ping-Pong Association.” Chambers’s “Traditions of Edinburgh” (1825), in an The mobilisation of the ping-pong forces was not account of the old Scottish ladies’ costume is this unobserved by an emissary or spy of the rival association, passage: “A ping-pong––a jewel fixed to a wire, with a for, casting discretion to the wind which happened to be long pin at the end, worn in front of the cap, and which blowing at the moment, in Langham-place a perigrinating shook as the wearer moved.” fore-and-aft placarded individual might be observed dumbly making known that the “Table-Tennis The Northern Whig 25 December 1901 Tournament” would commence at the Royal Aquarium To the above definition was added the information: “It on January 3. was generally stuck in the cushion, over which the hair Whether the Bank Holiday folk were apathetic or was turned in front. Several were frequently worn at whether the competing advertisement caused them to once. It was sometimes pronounced pom-poon.” abstain from witnessing the manœuvring of the Anyone who has been struck in the eye by a ping-pong assembled ping-pong forces is not quite certain, but it ball (says the “Daily Chronicle”) will see the force of must be frankly admitted that the interior of the large Queen’s Hall did not present a lively appearance. There calling it sometimes a pom-pom [a type of cannon!]. was a very small attendance, and the chilly silence was Belfast News-Letter 25 December 1901 only broken by the familiar “ping-pong” (by permission). It was the ladies’ turn in the afternoon, and there were some good games, several ladies (possibly with the idea of bringing the rival factions together) appearing who had previously played at the “Table-Tennis Tournament” at the Aquarium. Northampton Mercury 27 December 1901 The announcement of a Ping Pong tournament for an “All England Championship Challenge Cup and handsome prizes” was certain to come sooner or later. …..The recent formation … of a National Ping Pong Association (we trust we have the name of the august Gloucester Citizen 26 December 1901 body right) made something of the sort inevitable. The purpose of an association is to regulate really serious It is safe to say, remarks the “Daily Mail,” that there are competitions, and although the cart seems to have come well over a million ping-pong players in England alone.

52 EARLY NEWSPAPER ARTICLES first, its presence argued the early advent of a horse. view of the spectator. The present enthusiasts, however, Whilst we remain somewhat sceptical as to the belonging to the class which regards games with severe possibilities of development in the new national pastime, seriousness, it is possible that some scheme will be we heartily agree with the “Field” in thinking that the evolved by means of which ping-pong will be freed from association will find plenty to do. ….. a threatening monotony which deprives it of interest as a spectators’ game. Herts. and Cambs. Reporter 27 December 1901 Cheltenham Looker-on 28 December 1901 ….. Up to within twenty-four hours of Christmas we were under the spell of Jack Frost and everything pointed I was not struck with any great novelty in the to an old-fashioned Christmas. Christmas Eve had not mechanical toys which were exhibited this year. In fact, I run its course before a depressing rain set in which formed the impression, after visiting one or two bazaars, threatened to drive away all outward signs of the reign of that the distinguishing feature of the season, far and Father Christmas, and yet, within half-an-hour of this the away, and above all its competitors, is the absolute country all round was covered with snow, and a blizzard eminence of Ping-Pong. There are, or have been, two or almost cleared the streets of the late shoppers. The result three ping-pong tournaments in progress, and I have been of the partial thaw on Christmas Day was that the told the crush for admission has been enormous. I know pleasures of the festive season were almost universally that at the toyshops everyone has been inquiring for ping- confined to the family circle and out-door recreations pong bats, or ping-pong nets, or the little white celluloid were reserved for the bright sunny conditions of Boxing balls which a pair of skilful players set vibrating in so Day. Socially, 1901 will perhaps be best remembered as bewildering a manner from end to end of the table. At the Ping-Pong Christmas, and that fashionable game no one shop in Cheapside a ping-pong net elaborately doubt yielded in a large measure the compensations decorated with holly and ivy had practically a whole which a fireside Christmas has to set off against the loss window to itself. It was a fitting homage to the indoor of out-door pleasures. game of the time, the deserved apotheosis of ping-pong. Daily Express 28 December 1901 Western Times (Exeter) 30 December 1901 During the past three days the walls of the Queen’s Hall have echoed to other music than that of Mr. Newman’s orchestra––to wit the sharp percussion of racket and ball which has given an imitative name to the game of ping- pong. The tournament, which came to a close yesterday Evening Post (London) 28 December 1901 afternoon, has drawn crowds of holiday-makers who have During the past week or more the two London firms watched the play with the keenest interest. So successful which own the registered title have supplied at least 2000 has this novel competition been that it has been decided ping-pong sets a day. They could have sold three times to open another tournament at the same place towards the the number if they had had the stock. close of next month. Twenty-eight ladies and sixty-five gentlemen entered for the contest, among the latter being Worcestershire Chronicle 28 December 1901 a clergyman, a medical man, a lieutenant, and a small Attempts to substitute table tennis as the name for the schoolboy. The ladies showed some very graceful play, popular game of ping-pong have failed. The matter has the clever service of Miss Bantock, winner of the first been definitely decided by the newly-formed association prize, and Miss Franklin, winner of the third prize, being of clubs, which has assumed the title of the Ping-Pong especially admired. In the final competitions, which were Association. Only superior persons object to ping-pong brought to a breathless conclusion yesterday, the ladies as a name. They say it is frivolous and no longer correct, “by request” wore dark blouses, and the men ordinary because as wooden rackets are now being used both the morning dress, the light costumes and dazzling shirt ping and the pong have gone. The Princess Victoria, who fronts so conspicuous in the earlier stages of the game, is fond of the game, adheres to ping-pong. H.R.H. has tending to eclipse the transit of the ball. ….. purchased a table specially made for the game, and it has Aberdeen Press 30 December 1901 been sent down to Sandringham. “Ping-pong” has cast as potent a spell over Christmas Isle of Wight Observer 28 December 1901 parties as ever the pied piper over Hamelin city. The fact that a Ping-Pong Association is in course of Everybody plays “ping-pong.” “Table tennis,” doubtless, formation leaves no doubt as to the position which the is the more dignified name for the game, and the rules of game holds, while the recent tournament has proved that lawn tennis regulate it. But everybody calls it ping- table-tennis is of very considerable interest to a large pong, from the sound the ball makes when it strikes the number of persons. The careful spectator at both private table, ping! and the sound when the racket strikes the and public exhibitions of the game must be struck by its ball, pong! …… very obvious limitations under existing conditions. Belfast News-Letter 30 December 1901 Played with attempted fastness ping-pong is a pretty game, to say no more of it; but when the policy of play is The ping-pong fever seems to have made its way into adopted which is equivalent to persistent lobbing at lawn- households too numerous to estimate. There was an tennis, the game loses all its attraction from the point of opening for some simple amusement among friends in

53 EARLY NEWSPAPER ARTICLES dull times. Dancing holds its own at children’s parties serve. The ball came swiftly just over the net with a where games are voted out of date, but society as a whole terrible cut on it. The man fanned the air. It was only does not patronise it as in times past. The residential flats after the girl had won three sets love that he tumbled to in which people live, which enables them to dispense the situation. The man went home, and practised for a with many servants, have no room to use as a ballroom, month before he tackled her again, and––let us whisper even if the other occupants of the building were tolerant it––she beat him again. of the disturbance. Bridge has a bad name as a gambling [There followed an explanation of the Rules, using tennis game, and Monte Carlo itself has not a worse reputation scoring, but otherwise not too dissimilar to those still in for ruining hundreds of infatuated women. use today.] When first ping-pong came out a few years ago it was accepted as a game for children, something to help Daily Express 30 December 1901 through a wet day or fill up a holiday. But in course of PlNG-PONG, ONE PENNY. time the game came under the notice of tennis players, ––––––––––––––––––––––– who suddenly found themselves with a new field on THE GAME FROM CONCERT HALL which to struggle for champion’s honours. Table tennis TO DOORSTEP. is a more descriptive name for the game, and since it has –––––––––––– ceased to be looked upon as a childish form of A small, spectacled boy of fourteen was the hero of the amusement it has attracted the most scientific players, afternoon at Queen’s Hall on Saturday. ….. who find themselves furnished with a new winter Master Muir Stephens, of the Hendon Club, was the pastime. centre of interest. Handicapped by his size, about half A difficulty presents itself to residents in flats with that of the other players, he reduced the handicap almost space limited, as a nine-foot table is absolutely essential. to nil by his wonderful quickness and agility, and carried This has led to the formation of ping-pong clubs on the off third prize in the men’s section, value £10. lines of ordinary tennis clubs, with the right to use a club- Some of his strokes were really remarkable. Baffled by room as a tennis-court. It is obvious that clubs must be one ball, which bounced high out of his not very restricted in the number of members, and this is a crying extensive reach, he ran round and actually hit it over his grievance of the recent votaries, who cannot find a club to shoulder on to the table, to which his back was turned—a take them in. At several West End clubs, especially those stroke seen fairly often in lawn tennis, but in ping-pong of which ladies as well as gentlemen are members, it has worthy to be chronicled. been seriously proposed to disestablish the billiard table, A BOY PHENOMENON. and set up table tennis; but this would be more than the And before the applause had time to start he had elderly gentlemen who never learned tennis would allow. whisked round ready for the return, and took it too. …. Another picture. Two little match-sellers crouching Dundee Evening Post 30 December 1901 in the deep doorway of a closed shop, two more ill-clad forms bending over them. Their stocks lay in a corner FOR VICTIMS OF THE NEW “CRAZE.” –––––––––– unsold and unheeded. Rules of Ping-Pong. NOT QUITE ORTHODOX. –––––––––– Has it come to this? Ping-pong played by match-sellers “Ping-pong,” alias “pom-pom,” alias “wiff-waff,” alias on a doorstep! “table tennis,” has spread from London to Pretoria, from Not the regulation size by any means, this ball. Neither New York to San Francisco, from Bombay to Sydney, in was it the orthodox celluloid, though it was a fair fact, wherever British people do congregate there you imitation in varnine. will find it. For years there has not been such a “craze” A bit of stiffened green gauze about 6ins. long and 2ins. on an indoor game, and the patentee of ping-pong is high was the net. The post were bits of wire twisted at blessing “this happy day.” the bottom to form feet, stable enough to resist the impact In hardly a house one visits is not found the game of of the tiny ball. Two cardboard rackets completed the set. ping-pong in full swing any evening. ….. So the news “Where did you get them?” “At Missis Jones’ in –––– comes from South Africa that ping-pong is being played street.” The search for a cheap ping-pong set did not by the officers camped on the veldt. ….. carry the explorer so far. In several sweet-shop windows In some places the game has been made one exactly of was the article displayed. miniature lawn tennis, green baize cloth being stretched “The latest and best of games, parlour tennis. Two tightly over the table, and the lines marked on it as on a bats, ball, net and stand, with rules of game, one penny” lawn tennis court. The name “ping-pong” comes from —who could resist such a bargain? the sound made by the collision of the ball with the The rules are on the other side of the bag. Rule 5: racquet. “Decide before you commence how many points wins the The game, like many others, owes much of its game.” Rule 7: “If the ball bounces on the table and then popularity to the fact that it can be played and played well hit with the bat and returned over the net, that player by women. A well-known athlete recently visited a claims two points; but if returned over the net without house, and took down to dinner a young lady who was touching the table, the player only claims one point.” apparently interested in no subject. She never vouchsafed an answer except in a mono-syllable. After dinner came [With thanks to Sarah Steenson of Belfast Heritage for “Ping-Pong.” “I will deal gently with this charming the article from Ireland’s Saturday Night.] creature,” thought the young man, as she prepared to

54 Auction Action

Rare Table Tennis candy box, c. 1902 $246.50

Fine pair of stylish early wood bats sold for a strong £149

55 Ping Pong sheet music, Scherzo 1902 4-page article by Beatrice Lewis £10.5 Characteristic, 1902. $13

Wright & Ditson set with short handle bamboo single vellum rackets, c.1902 $200

56 J.W. Spear set with rare ball basket, 3 bats with textured surface and bulbous grips, ball pick-up stick, missing the metal pick-up prongs. £21

57 Ticket for the 1936 World Championships in Prague. $99

1917 postcard $25

Lithograph poster 1932 from the portfolio Les Joies du Sport, by the Yugoslav artist Milivoy Uzelac. Plate 28 42x35cm Euro 150

58 1934 advertisement for Krazy Table Tennis £3

1932 press photo, with caption: “Representatives of 25 countries who will compete for places on the International Team which will receive seeded places in the National Ping Pong Tournament for the Parker Cup, are seen here with the trophy in the hotel Waldorf Astoria in New York where the tourney will be held.” The rackets are all Parker Brothers Ping Pong brand, no doubt required for participation. The US Table Tennis Association was formed in 1933, and this commercial connection was ended. $20 59 Heavy Metal

1935 French medal Euro 60

1937 Czech Open $90 Chinese medal $99

1947 Austrian Championships Women’s Doubles 2ⁿ� pl. $35 60 ‘Commemorative Coin of the ‘88 Olympics’ in original presentation box.. The coin is inset into the stadium, seldom seen in this format. $75

1991 World Championships, Chiba, Japan. Corbillon Cup 4�� pl. $140

61 Pins - not so heavy

Probably a military (Air Force) pin for a tournament $10

Swedish referee pin $40 Austria Kärnten TTV pin $40

South Yemen pin $100 Croatia pin 1950-75 $11

DBTU Denmark pin Polish Honorary pin $8 62 Mini-bat signed by two World Singles Champions: Shigeo Ito (1969) and Nobuhiko Hasegawa (1967) $115

Porcelain figure, early 1970s, 30cm, by Lladro $308 63 Page featuring autographs of top stars Johnny Leach (ENG), Gizi Farkas (HUN), Richard Bergmann (AUT, ENG) and Bohumil Vana (TCH) £50

French newspaper clipping from the 1936 World Championships, Prague. Vladone (ROU) v Liebster (AUT) Euro 5.50 64 Souvenir sheet, MNH, from the 1961 World Championships, Beijing $799 Careful - there are many fakes of this scarce item.

Postcards from the 1961 World Championships, Beijing $18 each

65 German DTTB pennant from the Official program for the 1963 World Championships, 1962 Europe Championships Prague, with pairings for all events, player lists … $90 Berlin $10

Recording for the Asian-Afro Friendship Invitational, China 1971. $160

66 ‘Tension Mounts’, oil on board by Jerzey Marek. £190

Modern folding pop-up card with envelope. $9 on etsy.com 67 Paul Niszczak, mixed media, 30x20 inches (76x50cm) £50

Label from the 1959 World Championships, Dortmund. Vignettes from the 1952 World Ch $12.70 in Bombay $15 each 68 1947 Goofy comic book $57.60 1955 Woody Woodpecker comic book $8

1950 Tom & Jerry comic book $6 1955 Looney Tunes comic book, Bugs Bunny $3

69 Collector Directory Günther Angenendt Winfried Engelbrecht Germany Barry Hayward UK Langacker 10a 44869 Bochum, Germany Virgiliastr.21 D-45131 Essen 49.201.78.6795 19 Little Hardwick Road, Streetly +49-2327-77117 [email protected] [email protected] Philately: West Midlands WS9 0SD Pre-war World Ch programs; all TT items Stamps, FDCs, Sheets, Postmarks, books, [email protected] German boxed sets & bats; TT pins phonecards, tickets, stickers, W.C. Programs Chuck Hoey Honorary Curator, ITTF Museum Jorge Arango [email protected] Romualdas Franckaitis Lithuania [email protected] Cl. 10 No. 25-103 Ap.116 Medellin Columbia [email protected] Art bats, unusual bats, historic photos, Philatelic & general TT items Important medals, museum quality items Gao Yi-bin [email protected] Michael L. Babuin, PhD USA No.9 Xin Wen Road 21-905 Phoenix Tree Garden Martin Holland [email protected] PO Box 3401 Cary NC. 27519 Jiangning, Nanjing, Jiansu P.R.China 211100 44 Victoria Road, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria [email protected] +8625 5212 3334 TT stamps, FDC, postcards England BA14 5JU TT postcards & trade cards Pre-1905 books, old film copies, programs phonecards, coins, medals, pins, cancels Rolf Jaeger USA [email protected] Oliver Born Germany Roman Gelman [email protected] Tennis and Table Tennis items [email protected] www.old-butterfly.de 24 Taverngreen Court, Baltimore, MD. USA Custom jewelry: www.tennisboutique.com Old Butterfly rackets, especially Korpa 21209 410 602 0267 Pins,,badges,medals Dean Johnson USA Keith Bowler (AUS) In Memoriam David Good [email protected] 3404 Holly Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23451 710 N.Waverly, Dearborn, MI 48128 USA (757) 478 3605 [email protected] Fabrice Chantriaux France +1 313 278 5271 c.1900 sets, equipment, 10 Rue des Chevrefeuilles F-45130 Saint-Ay ephemera, memorabilia Jean-Francois Kahn France 02.38.88.82.11 Fax: 02.38.45.94.29 49 rue Leonardo da Vinci, 77330 Ozoir la [email protected] Stamps, cancels, Scott Gordon USA [email protected] Ferriere [email protected] Postcards, posters, old papers on TT 5340 Shelato Way, Carmichael, CA 95608 +33 1 40779762 TT philately: imperf stamps, +1 916 978 0117 www.hardbat.com films sheets, color proofs, minister/artist sheets, Colin Clemett [email protected] Historic films,classic era hardbats, old books errors, postmarks, meters, FDCs, specimens 2 Watermill Court, 10 Springwell, Havant PO9 1ED UK Historical documents Gordon Gotal [email protected] Christian Klaus Möllersdorf, Austria Meduliceva 23 Zagreb 10000 Croatia [email protected] Fabio Colombo Italy [email protected] +3851 4848 687 Exch: TT pins, medals, post- TT stamps, cancels, postcards, autograph www.colombofabio.com cards Acquire: WC & EC official badges cards, FDCs, historic photos, magazines, Table Tennis books, World Rankings. Author (Guest, organizer, player, press, etc) Newspapers, score-lists, books, posters … Seeking STIGA Stipancic rackets Steve Grant Florida USA author Jan Kleeven [email protected] Ron Crayden (ENG) in Memoriam [email protected] Margrietstraat 63 6373 NN Landgraaf Ping Pong Diplomacy, Early 1900s TT Netherlands Pins, flags, pennants, stamps, Andre Demeure (BEL) in Memoriam Phonecards, stickers Esko Heikkinen [email protected] Jean Devys Residence La petite vigne, Vainamoisenkatu 9 B 17 Helsinki 00100 Matti Kolppanen Finland 20 rue Edgar Quinet, A16 F-59100 Roubaix Finland +358 50 62532 TT history, Stiga bats Kollekannaksent 12E, FI-02720 Espco France 33.320828444 Fax: 33.320650849 TT [email protected] philately, cycling [email protected] Gerald Gurney +44.1206.230330 TT history, TT postcards Guildhall Orchard, Great Bromley Colchester Axel Dickhaus Germany ESSEX CO7 7TU England. All racket games, All Randy Koo Netherlands Atzienbacherf Str. 88 D-51381 Leverkusen equipment, ephemera. Historian, author. Torenwacht 37, 2353 DB Leiderdorp +49 (0)2171 32108 Fax: 49 (0)2171.731478 Worldwide exhibitions. Swimming items. +31 071 5417413 [email protected] [email protected] TT balls, phone cards Exch: boxed sets, postcards, books, rackets Stamps mint, postmarks, red meters, FDC

Alan Duke [email protected] Rex Haggett [email protected] Hans Kreischer +34965698195 2 Shapwick Close, Swindon WILTS. England 27 Meadow Close, Stratford-upon-Avon Avenue les Comargues 21, Busot-Allicante SN3 3RQ UK +44 (0) 1793 531234 Warwickshire, CV37 9PJ England 03111 Spain [email protected] History, music & photo record of TT items +44 (0) 1789 269352 Philately Bruno Lancon (FRA) Sergio Durazzano [email protected] Russ Hamilton Arkansas, USA Barna bats Via Girardini 8, 33100 Udine, Italy [email protected] 214-673-6164 0432.21105 Stamps & historical books C.1890-1902 vintage sets, books & unusual Kevin Lau USA [email protected] items Philatelic, pins, coins, memorabilia, souvenir & decorative items

70 Collector Directory

Caron Leff Ft. Myers, FL USA Laszlo Polgar Hungary Michael Thomson [email protected] Table Tennis pins [email protected] 1 Kinnoull Terrace, PERTH Early World Ch items,Barna,Bergmann, PH2 7DJ SCOTLAND UK 01738 622052 Francis Leibenguth France +33951966614 Bellak,Szabados,Anna Sipos,Rozeanu,Ehrlich [email protected] 1 résidence des Hauts de Villebon 91140 and Dolinar. Table Tennis plus chess. Jaques and history of Table Tennis Villebon-sur-Yvette [email protected] Vintage bats (esp hardbats), vintage sets Alberto Prieto USA Solazzi Tonino [email protected] http://raquettes-collection.blog4ever.com [email protected] Via Millefonti 6 / 5 10126 Torino, Italy 0039 3668744426 Table Tennis pins Jorgen Lindh [email protected] Robin Radford [email protected] www.tabletennispins.weebly.com Egnahemsgatan 13D S-43242 Varberg 16 St Edmund Cr TAWA, Wellington, NZ SWEDEN +64 04 232 5672 Hans-Peter Trautmann Germany TT cartoons, comic strips, clip art Siegfriedstr. 17 64385 Reichelsheim Steve Luck, 12 Liskey Hill, Perranporth, [email protected] Cornwall TR6 0ET Phone: 07860 446209 Jose Ransome Stamps mint, perf + imperf, sheets, color [email protected] racket sports, ”Conifers” Church Lane ORMESBY proofs, minister/artist sheets, postmarks, rowing, billiards, croquet, archery ... Middleborough TS7 9AU ENGLAND errors, red/blue meters 01642 322223 [email protected] Fabio Marcotulli Venezuela Graham Trimming 44(0)1628 529609 [email protected] Geoff Reed In Memoriam Rosemount Juniper Lane Barna rackets, TT items from all eras Wooburn Green, Bucks HP10 0DE England Helmut Reinhardt [email protected] pre-1939 TT Hubert Menand Friedrich-Voss-Platz 19, items, esp c.1900s. Acquire: Gossima 1891; [email protected] D-24768 Rendsburg, GERMANY early unusual items; early World Ch items. President, AFCTT (French TT Collectors) [email protected] Damir Uzorinac Croatia Eldon Mohler [email protected] Ortwin Schiessl Austria Prilaz Gjure Dezelica 20 10000 Zagreb 1820 E.Warm springs Rd. Lascygasse 14-16, A-1170 WIEN [email protected] 38598474982 Suite 112 Las Vegas. NV 89119 USA [email protected] table tennis Books, pins, stamps, cancellations Fax: +1-702-453-8472 philately: Stamps, sheets, FDC, postmarks Russ Walker e-mail = ? Erik Kenneth Muhr England UK Lutz Schoenfeld Germany 4316 Irving Ave N, MPLS MN 55412 USA 2 Highgate Hill, Hawkhurst KENT TN18 4LB selling Table Tennis items on ebay: pongiste +1-612-522-7905 01580 752676 History of Table Tennis e-mail: [email protected] Early 1900s equipment & boxed sets [email protected] Martin Senn St. Gallen, Switzerland Diane & Harvey Webb England Rudolf Mueller Germany e-mail: [email protected] [email protected] Bahnhofstr. 58 D-57250 Netphen 02738- Seeks old Stiga blades & catalogues +44 (0)1424 216342 1461 Stamps, cancels, letter, error, red English related photographs, programmes, meters [email protected] Luigi Simeoni [email protected] books, post cards. General - pin badges Via Ponte S.Pancrazio 2/a 37133 Verona Jan Nusteleyn Netherlands Italy 0039 045 532033 TT Balls, catalog Yao Zhenxu Weserstraat 21, 9406 VP Assen 0592- Room 401 Unit 1 Building 2 356050 e-mail: [email protected] Harry Sintemaartensdijk Netherlands No. 4 Dongsikuaiyu South Street Stamps, mint perforated FDCs red meters, Julianastraat 8,2651 DP Berkel en Rodenrijs Chongwen District, Beijing 100061, China cancels WC, EC, EC-Youth, Top-12 0031 105114621 [email protected] +86-13911990508 [email protected] Tischtennis Aufklebers/stickers TT stamps, FDC, postcards, coins, pins, Robert Op de Beeck (BEL) In Memoriam phonecards, postal material, tickets etc Tang Gan Xian P.R.China Florian Pagel Germany [email protected] [email protected] Jos Zinkstok Netherlands Older Banda, Stiga, Joola, Butterfly, Imperial Qin Hu 4-35-104, ChangShu 215500 Neckarstraat 8 NL9406 VN ASSEN +86-512-52722359 TT stamps, FDC, pins +31 592 350486 Fax: 0031 592 355861 Park Jeong Kye [email protected] postmarks, postcards, phonecards,tickets, [email protected] www.poveia.nl PO Box 555 Busan 48931 KOREA South TT cancellations, stamps, vignettes, on real Postmarks, stamps, postcards Marc Templereau France [email protected] used, letters/covers/cards, FDC 16 Hameau des cerisiers 38150 Roussillon Gregory Pinkhusovich Secretary, AFCTT (French TT Collectors Anton Zwiebel In Memoriam Apt.10, h.2 Sheshet Ha-Yamim Str Assoc) https://afctt.wordpress.com Ariel 40700 ISRAEL +972-54-3394739 Collections : stamps, FDC, players postcards, [email protected] autographs, programs TTpins, badges, medals, coins

71 2019 World Championships Budapest

April 21-28 at the Hungexpo, Budapest Budapest also hosted the World Championships In 1929, 1931 and 1950

World No. 1 (as of 1.2019) Fan Zhendong ITTF Hall of Famer Ding Ning, World No. (CHN) will be a favorite to capture his first 1 will be a favorite to win her 4�� World World Singles title. Others in the hunt are Singles title, followed closely by No. 2 No. 2 Xu Xin, 3 Japanese stars: 3 Harimoto, 9 Zhu Yuling, 4 Chen Meng, 5 Liu Shiwen Koki Niwa & 10 Jun Mizutani, 4 Lin Gaoyuan & 3 Japanese stars: 3 Ishikawa, 7 Mima 5 Timo Boll 6 Hugo Calderano … Ito & 9 Miu Hirano …

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