The Table Tennis
Collector
Table Tennis philatelic history reached a new milestone with the
release of a joint issue by China and Sweden on 27.9.2013, featuring
two great superstars, Deng Yaping and Jan-Ove Waldner. This not
only marks the first time a foreigner has been featured on a Chinese
stamp, but the occasion also spawned some 40 different Table
Tennis postmarks! See pages 26-31 for the full story.
70
November
2013
From the Editor
The Table Tennis
Collector
Dear Friends,
Welcome to issue 70 of the Table Tennis Collector.
Our cover story announces an historic event in Table Tennis
philately, a joint issue of two stamps, from China and Sweden …
along with 40 different Table Tennis postmarks!
Great Shots salutes the prestigious Swaythling Club, whose
website and magazine are always packed full of historic photos.
Master researcher Alan Duke (ENG) concludes his series on early
pioneers, as well as a report on intellectual property. Tang
Ganxian (CHN) shares some photos of his recent exhibition at the
China Open in Suzhou.
We welcome back David Hughes (ENG), with another piece about
Barna bats. Gunter Straub (GER) also returns with an article
about the pen-hold grip. Gerald Gurney (ENG) sends a 1937
article about the 1929 World Champion Fred Perry (ENG).
Our Philatelic Update is dominated by many celebratory
postmarks from China! Special thanks to Tang Ganxian for his
help in identifying these postmarks, and sending the photos.
No. 70
November 2013
Editor and Publisher:
Some good activity on eBay, with interesting rackets and
mementos that have survived over 110+ years.
The Back Page features a rare illustration from 1901 Shanghai,
with some new details, thanks to Zhang Zhe (CHN).
Hope you enjoy the issue!
Chuck Hoey, Curator
ITTF Museum
www.ittf.com/museum
museum@ittf.com
Chuck
German medallion for the
1988 Seoul Olympic Games:
“Sie kämpfen für Deutschland
in der Diziplin Tischtennis”
Publishing Schedule:
May 1
Aug 1
Nov 1
Feb 1
Submit articles by April 15
Submit articles by July 15
Submit articles by Oct 15
Submit articles by Jan 15
In this issue …
Great Shots
Swaythling
Club
3
1952
Hollywood
Open
19
Alan Duke
Research:
4-7,
22-25
Gerald
Gurney
Fred
Perry
20-21
Tang
Ganxian
Exhibits
8-11
Philatelic
Update
26-31
David
Hughes
on Barna
12-17
Auction Action
33-40
Gunter
Straub
Penhold
Grip
18
Back
Page
44
2
Great Shots: Historic Photographs
The prestigious Swaythling Club International was
formed in 1967 by 22 former World Championship
players. Victor Barna was elected as founding
President.
Their recently published SCI Booklet 1967 - 2013
states the aims of the Club:
● To develop the game
● To foster international friendship
● To help each other whenever possible
● To meet frequently
● To encourage younger players
● To help the younger generation under-stand
the importance of sportsmanship
The main principles of the camaraderie Club are
friendship and mutual respect. The late Zarko
Dolinar as Acting President in 1972 beautifully
summarized the Club:
“I am sure our Swaythling Club is a unique
organisation in the world of sport. I hope that it
will continue to develop and promote that which
money cannot buy: friendship, health, love,
faithfulness, loyalty and tolerance.”
Your Editor was kindly invited to
join the SCI by newly elected
President Eberhard Schöler, one
of my most favorite people, a
top player and a wise and
talented leader who has given
so much to our sport.
I strongly recommend you
check out their website, which can be reached via
ittf.com, then Home Page and then look for SCI /
WVC on the horizontal menu bar, or directly by:
Ittf.com/_front_Page/ittf7.asp?category=s_club
The SCI publishes a fine magazine twice yearly,
and each issue can be viewed as a pdf on their
site. They are packed with ‘Great Shots’, historic
photographs, tributes to former champions, the
World Veterans and other tournament reports
and interesting articles.
Always remember that veterans are the
foundation of our sport.
3
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
by Alan Duke
‚ PATENTS (continued) - Abandoned Patent Applications
Many Applications for Patents never make it through the entire
process to completion. There are probably many reasons for
this, but the procedure itself can be lengthy and costly. In
addition to the costs of Search Fees and Renewal Fees, a large
proportion of applicants find it best to employ the services of a
Patent Agent, in order to ensure that the wording of their
application is precise and will thus gain the invention the
protection required. Whilst a wise move, it is not cheap! (The
address provided in the examples of initial announcements
included within the table may not be that of the Applicant, but
could alternatively be that of the Agent.)
It may also be that after the rush to submit the Provisional
Specification (and hence register that all-important date), the
applicant decided that the invention did not satisfy the criteria,
or there may have been commercial interests involved where it
was beneficial that the application, and the details, were not
published.
The vast majority of such ‘Abandoned or Void’ applications
failed because the Complete Specification had not been
submitted within 10 months of the initial Application. They are
then declared ‘Abandoned’. This applies to all the examples in
the table, with one exception. The odd one out is 4616, which
fell into the ‘Void’ category. This applies where the Complete
Specification was not accepted within 15 months of the date of
application. Once declared ‘Abandoned or Void’, all
communications are destroyed to protect the confidentiality of
the information, leaving the only record in the hands of the
applicant. The only official publication of any details then
remains the original announcement of the application in the
Patent Office Journal, plus a date when it was accepted. Some
local newspapers also published such announcements for
applications from their local residents.
The most notable example in the field of table tennis is that of
James Devonshire in 1885, a story covered in depth in TTC 66.
But to give an idea of the numbers involved, in a busy 12month period for table tennis inventions, from July 1901 to
June 1902 inclusive, out of approximately 28,000 Patent
Applications in total, there were 322 for table tennis/ping pong
related items. Of these, 70 were published, 252 abandoned.
In compiling the list for this period, although none of the
Patents were granted, some, or indeed many, may have seen
the light of day without such protection. Although I have had
to leave out some details from the table (date abandoned,
some of co-inventors’ names, and some of the already brief
description originally provided), there is still much of interest
to be derived from the information.
Date of
n
Applic
1885
09 Oct
No.
Applicant
Description
12012
J Devonshire
Parlour lawn-tennis (table tennis).
24 Jan
20 Jun
1637
12559
F H Ayres, H Gale
H O and J O Roberts
Apparatus for scoring games.
Captive ball.
26 Jun
13020
E Farr, S A Walker
Bats or racquets for table tennis.
19 Jul
14726
A E L Slazenger
Picking up or collecting balls.
30 Aug
05 Sep
17409
17795
F H Ayres
J R Mally
Apparatus for collecting balls.
Lifting balls from the ground.
11 Sep
21 Sep
18128
18856
A L Neumann
P L Best
"Alman" ping pong "ball" lifter.
Picking up table tennis balls.
23 Sep
18938
E Cornish
Collecting device for balls.
30 Sep
01 Oct
19446
19523
W Sykes
J A Wood
Picking up celluloid balls.
"Picker-up" for ping pong.
05 Oct
05 Oct
19894
19905
H Bolton
H E Hughes
Table tennis fittings.
Bats, racquets or battledores.
07 Oct
14 Oct
19980
20495
Sir A Altman
W Sykes
Apparatus for supporting nets.
String rackets for table tennis.
16 Oct
19 Oct
20730
20954
P A Altman
J D Prior
Retrieving table tennis balls.
Apparatus for supporting the net.
21 Oct
26 Oct
21042
21494
J Quick
J A Wood
Ping Pong ball collector.
Attachment of the net posts.
01 Nov
04 Nov
21995
22206
R G Lewis
H J Deslandes
The self-acting ball lifter.
Picker up for ping-pong balls.
12 Nov
22792
W G J Cooper et al
Picking up the playing balls.
12 Nov
15 Nov
22869
23112
F H Fraser
F Tolkien
Racquets for table tennis.
Balls for playing ping pong.
22 Nov
23 Nov
23688
23814
H E Cohen
S Nicholls
Picker up for use in ping-pong.
Picking up table tennis balls.
26 Nov
28 Nov
24034
24155
J Jones
C C Bryan
Manufacture of table tennis rackets.
Attachment to tables for balls.
03 Dec
05 Dec
24636
24777
R R Greenhow
A E L Slazenger
Rackets for playing Ping Pong.
Bat or racket for playing table tennis.
05 Dec
24857
W Jenkinson et al
Ping-pong tables.
1901
09 Dec
25079
J G Renvoize
Bats, racquets and the like.
10 Dec
10 Dec
25124
25149
J Turner
A K Craufurd
Table tennis net attachments.
Ball-lifter for use in ping-pong.
10 Dec
10 Dec
25211
25224
C F J Lock
J H Chandler
Table-tennis and like games.
Table tennis apparatus.
11 Dec
12 Dec
25293
25326
T G Fulkes
J H Howell
Picking-up "ping-pong" balls.
Game tables.
12 Dec
13 Dec
25383
25485
H E Hughes
J Cutler
Rackets or bats for table tennis.
Appliance for use in Ping Pong.
13 Dec
25503
J A Baker
Table tennis racquets or bats.
4
13 Dec
25504
A Barnes, H Luff
Racquets for use in table tennis.
14 Dec
16 Dec
25567
25649
E J Durham
C W Faulkner et al
Table tennis nets.
Contrivance for picking up balls.
17 Dec
19 Dec
25721
25914
S P Chapman
E Fleming
Bat or racquet for Ping-Pong.
Supports for nets used in ping-pong.
19 Dec
19 Dec
25927
25930
A Morriss
J W S Seccombe
Table tennis ball lifter.
Picker-up for balls, attached to racket.
19 Dec
20 Dec
25973
26013
J A Baker
E Moxham et al
Table tennis racquets or bats.
Racquets for playing table tennis.
20 Dec
21 Dec
26050
26094
E Banfield
H O and J O Roberts
Picking up table tennis balls.
Racquet or bat for playing table tennis.
21 Dec
26114
E C Blakley et al
Ping pong bats or rackets.
23 Dec
27 Dec
26186
26423
W Sykes
W Fletcher
Drum boards, bats or rackets.
Balls for indoor games.
28 Dec
30 Dec
26515
26581
G Schreiner
F C Upton et al
Securing of nets used in "ping pong".
Appliance for practising "Ping-Pong".
31 Dec
26637
F Cooper et al
Adjustable supports for ping-pong.
31 Dec
31 Dec
26652
26672
J Paterson
J Tourtel
Ball lifter for household games.
Racquets for table tennis.
31 Dec
1902
26688
A H Mitchell
Racquets for table tennis.
02 Jan
03 Jan
04 Jan
119
214
293
J F Gowans
J Quick
A C Parker
Improvements in table tennis.
Ping-pong picker ups.
Bats for ping-pong.
04 Jan
294
G F Pascoe et al
Device for collecting balls.
06 Jan
06 Jan
327
388
A H Bendall
H Ferris et al
Bats and rackets for indoor games.
A combined bat with ball pick up.
07 Jan
07 Jan
410
430
W L Fleming
W B Sweeting
Folding table tennis board, folding net.
Racquets or bats for table tennis.
07 Jan
08 Jan
431
547
E J Durham
John J Shaw
Table tennis bats or rackets.
Self-tightening apparatus for nets.
09 Jan
620
J Howell, Jun
09 Jan
09 Jan
630
637
M Lamb
J R Mally
09 Jan
09 Jan
657
660
R McCaskill et al
T H Gibb
Appliance for ping-pong or table tennis.
Method of covering bats and rackets.
10 Jan
719
C P Rogers
Perfection table tennis poles and net.
14 Jan
948
E Beard
Ping-Pong racket or bat.
14 Jan
15 Jan
957
1089
A W Hitchin
L Denham
Ball catching nets for Ping Pong.
Picking up table tennis balls.
16 Jan
16 Jan
1169
1179
G F Whitmore
J Plenderleath
Ping Pong boards and tables.
Supports for parlour tennis nets.
16 Jan
17 Jan
17 Jan
1203
1317
1321
T Mortimer
F P Borkett
T H Tuite
Bats for "Table Tennis" or "Ping-Pong".
Clamp for table-tennis.
"Self-fielding" table tennis ball.
For example, whilst most applications were from home
inventors from all walks of life, a number were from wellknown manufacturers such as F H Ayres, A E L Slazenger, J R
Mally, Jefferies and Co, John Jaques, and Charles Dunlop. Less
well-known are three who had also registered Trade Marks for
their products: Pollard Wilkinson (Ledia), Edward Augustus
Jeffreys (Ejeff), and Edmund Gormly (Coro). But the big surprise
was to find one from Arnold ‘Ping Pong’ Parker (No. 293).
It was also interesting to break down the applications into
subject matter. Of the 252, it was not really surprising to find
bats in the top spot, with 71. There were 48 for nets and
fittings, 20 for tables, 11 for scoring machines, and 8 for balls.
But perhaps the biggest surprise was the apparent obsession
with inventing devices for picking up balls from the floor (and
also probably reaching under and behind the furniture) – 62!
Also of interest were the terms used to describe both the game
and the racket. The most popular name for the game was
‘table tennis’, with 176 entries (both with and without capitals
or a hyphen). ‘Ping pong’ came second with 108, with ‘Parlour
Tennis’ and ‘Gossima’ (or Gossamer!) each mentioned twice.
For the ‘racket’, that name came third with 23 uses. The most
popular was ‘bat’ with 52, followed by 32 for ‘racquet’, and
‘battledore’ used three times. And if you have spotted that the
figures add up to more than the total number of applications,
you are correct. On many occasions, more than one term was
used per application.
17 Jan
1329
F H Ayres et al
Tables or surfaces for table tennis.
18 Jan
1419
W R Wilson
Bats or rackets for Ping Pong.
Ping Pong racquet.
20 Jan
20 Jan
1467
1476
R Gardner et al
E B Ormerod
"Ping Pong ball retriever".
Bats for table tennis.
Racquets for table tennis.
Table tennis nets.
20 Jan
20 Jan
1484
1531
A E Trimmings
Jefferies & Co.
Tennis racquets for use in table tennis.
Bats, racquets.
20 Jan
1532
J S S Brame
Bats for table tennis.
21 Jan
21 Jan
1594
1646
J R Watts
J. B. Hole et al
Adjustable table tennis standards.
Automatic ball pick-up for table tennis.
21 Jan
21 Jan
1677
1689
T A Dumbell
J Jaques
Apparatus for table tennis.
Drum bats.
22 Jan
1715
C T Powell et al
Bats or racquets for table tennis.
23 Jan
1808
C D Rankin
Table tennis rackets.
5
24 Jan
1903
W Gilyard
Bat or racquet for table tennis.
24 Jan
24 Jan
1971
1997
J Salmon
H Jewson et al
Table tennis nets.
Bats for table tennis.
25 Jan
25 Jan
2046
2051
E Ostlere
J Crabtree
Tables used for "Ping-Pong".
Fittings for use with table tennis.
27 Jan
2103
A Rudall
Marker for table-tennis.
27 Jan
27 Jan
2110
2127
S E Walsh
J E Parker
Table tennis appliances.
"Ping-Pong" rackets.
28 Jan
28 Jan
2213
2222
M H Smith
R Edmeades
Rackets or bats.
A pick-up for table tennis balls.
28 Jan
29 Jan
2311
2369
E C Fleming
M M Dessau
Table tennis rapid ball lifter.
Racquets and similar articles.
29 Jan
30 Jan
2392
2423
J Salmon
T Bishop
Table tennis nets.
Ping pong or table tennis nets.
17 Feb
3979
G S Howell
"Pickup" for table tennis balls.
19 Feb
19 Feb
4183
4202
H E Taaffe
F E Willcocks
Indoor tennis, etc, table.
Score marker for table tennis.
19 Feb
19 Feb
4203
4235
W J Roberts
W Hartley
"Plunger" table-tennis ball retriever.
Bats for table tennis.
19 Feb
19 Feb
4252
4292
J Hannah et al
E I Pool
Tables or boards for ping pong.
Portable table tennis tables.
20 Feb
20 Feb
4313
4321
W & J Starkie
J Stoddart
Wire nets for "table-tennis".
Picking up table tennis balls.
20 Feb
20 Feb
4337
4338
J Wilson
J Wilson
Table tennis nets and posts.
Tables or boards for table tennis.
22 Feb
4487
W G Oakes
Scoring arrangements for ping pong.
22 Feb
22 Feb
4490
4538
J N Harrington
A Gilmour
Ping pong or table tennis racket or bat.
A guard or fence for table tennis.
24 Feb
24 Feb
4574
4613
P Butterfield et al
A Friedheim
Racket handle ball holder.
Table tennis clamp.
24 Feb
24 Feb
4616
4639
M M Dessau
W T Robertshaw
Racquets for playing games.
Table tennis racquets.
27 Feb
28 Feb
4934
5051
P Wilkinson
C E Corbitt
Table tennis table or board.
Device for practising ping pong.
28 Feb
28 Feb
5076
5099
H Gale
F Mousley
Picking up table tennis balls.
Manufacture of bats for ping pong.
01 Mar
01 Mar
5166
5217
P Lankester
P Umney et al
Combination table tennis net and table.
Net post and automatic table clamp.
03 Mar
5235
J E Atkinson
Apparatus for holding balls.
03 Mar
03 Mar
5269
5313
S P Lehmann et al
H W Cox
Standards for table tennis.
Table-tennis rackets.
04 Mar
04 Mar
05 Mar
5379
5411
5432
W Cutler
H S Eckworth
A and H Thorpe
Bats for ping pong or table tennis.
Securing net supports to the tables.
Removing dents in ping-pong balls.
30 Jan
2499
D Hardy
Method of passing ball to the server.
31 Jan
31 Jan
2534
2582
F G Barnes
F J Cox
Ping Pong and table tennis screen.
Bracket for supporting Ping-Pong net.
01 Feb
01 Feb
2636
2663
J S Taylor
F J Bullows et al
Bat for playing table tennis.
Appliances for use in table tennis.
04 Feb
05 Feb
2809
2895
E Stone
H C Braun
Picking up ball used in ping-pong.
Posts for nets for table tennis.
05 Feb
06 Feb
2979
2997
W C Pepper
F Grainger
Vellum or other similar bats or rackets.
Rackets or bats for table tennis.
06 Feb
2998
J and G Burrow
End supports for table tennis nets.
06 Feb
06 Feb
3000
3029
A Wilkinson
P F Butterfield
Table tennis bats or racquets.
Game-ball retriever.
05 Mar
05 Mar
5501
5513
H Shackleton
O F Westrup
Picking-up device for table-tennis.
Rackets for table tennis.
06 Feb
07 Feb
3048
3127
G A Nokes
S P Lehmann et al
Fixing apparatus in ping-pong.
Net-supports for table-tennis.
06 Mar
06 Mar
5544
5554
C H Stradling
T J I Craig
Picking up ping pong balls.
Manufacture of "Table Tennis" racquets.
06 Mar
06 Mar
5569
5591
G B Latham
A L Hellyer
Score registers for table tennis.
A racquet or bat for table tennis.
07 Mar
07 Mar
5658
5671
J B Hole
C Eggleton
Picking up table tennis balls.
Clamp clip and hinged post holder.
08 Mar
08 Mar
5739
5765
H R Chesterton
G J Orme
Mechanical device for picking up balls.
Self adjusting clamp and net pillar.
08 Mar
10 Mar
5813
5825
W H Duckworth et al Racquets for table tennis.
T Palmer
Ping-pong score indicator.
11 Mar
5955
M J Alexander
12 Mar
12 Mar
6044
6045
J H Pettigrew
Ping-pong or table tennis racket or bat.
C S Johnson, R Wylie Ping pong post or upright.
12 Mar
12 Mar
6053
6055
C W Ellison
A W Barton
Balls used for table tennis or ping pong.
Ping pong ball-lifter.
12 Mar
13 Mar
6168
6188
C Dunlop
N Whitehouse
Pneumatic ball lifter and ejector.
Ping-pong marking board.
14 Mar
6243
W T Ashplant
Ping pong posts.
14 Mar
14 Mar
6266
6294
E E Pugh
T Norton
Portable self-closing table for ping pong.
Net for table tennis.
15 Mar
6375
R G French
Ping-pong scoring board.
18 Mar
18 Mar
6585
6597
G H Butterfly
W W Pellett
Appliances for table tennis.
Tables or table tops for table tennis.
07 Feb
3131
A Dunhill
The collection of table tennis balls.
07 Feb
08 Feb
10 Feb
3148
3222
3317
J Salmon
F Garwood
J R Mally
Table tennis nets.
Receptacles for holding ping pong balls.
An improved table tennis game.
10 Feb
3319
S G Laskey
Manufacture of table tennis bats.
10 Feb
11 Feb
3352
3433
E I Pool
J E S Barnes
Portable table tennis tables.
Net standards for "Ping Pong".
11 Feb
3501
W S Simpson
Improvements for playing ping pong.
12 Feb
12 Feb
3573
3593
A W Samuel
T W Hayes et al
Bats for playing ping pong.
Table or board for ping pong.
13 Feb
13 Feb
3666
3673
J J Anderson
R B Gibson
Bats for parlour games viz. ping pong.
A net holder for table tennis balls.
13 Feb
13 Feb
3678
3681
B W Stevens
G W Parker et al
Securing table-tennis nets.
Ping-pong or table tennis net.
14 Feb
14 Feb
3765
3767
B C Parsons
J R Learoyd
Picking up balls in ping pong.
Magazine for delivering balls.
15 Feb
3941
H G Banks et al
Stands and supports or fittings for nets.
Table tennis markers.
6
18 Mar
6620
J R Mally
Table tennis balls.
19 Mar
20 Mar
6668
6824
E Gormly
J Pullman
Self adjusting and self supporting net.
Bats for "ping-pong" or table tennis.
21 Mar
22 Mar
6913
7023
D C Beggs
A S d'Humy
Balls used in the game of table tennis.
Appliance for picking up balls.
25 Mar
7223
A S d'Humy
Improvements relating to table tennis.
26 Mar
26 Mar
7306
7332
H C W Beeching
E E Wetherell
Side net and corner pockets.
Ping-pong or table-tennis ball retriever.
27 Mar
27 Mar
7396
7404
P Wilkinson
R and C Wallwork
Table tennis racquet or bat.
Appliance suitable for lifting balls.
27 Mar
27 Mar
7467
7492
G H James
J Stewart, Jun.
Portable frame for table tennis nets.
Table adapted for ping pong.
27 Mar
29 Mar
7508
7551
G Veall
C B S Webb
Appliance for picking up balls.
Apparatus for picking up balls.
01 Apr
01 Apr
7632
7685
W R Smith
H Sell
Bat or racquet for ping pong.
Appliance for picking up balls.
02 Apr
03 Apr
7710
7854
C E Corbett
F J Prince
Apparatus used in table tennis.
Apparatus for scoring ping pong.
04 Apr
7903
J W Lea, J Perrins
Cages for picking up balls.
05 Apr
07 Apr
7998
8058
O F Westrup
G H Powell
Table tennis nets.
Battledores or bats for table tennis.
08 Apr
10 Apr
8159
8317
C Williamson
C E and A K Clarke
Appliance for picking up balls.
Ping-pong net and poles.
10 Apr
11 Apr
11 Apr
8320
8418
8450
J Quick
W Carr
H G Plunkett
Ping-pong ball retriever.
Appliances for use with table tennis.
Ping-pong bat.
11 Apr
15 Apr
8470
8732
J Boyd
E Rowbottom
Nets or partitions for table-tennis.
Racquets or bats for table tennis.
17 Apr
17 Apr
8895
8932
A H Varian
E A Jeffreys
Palate bat for ping pong.
Apparatus for playing table tennis.
18 Apr
23 Apr
9001
9365
E E Wetherell et al
J P Bradley
Picking up table tennis balls.
Picking up table tennis balls.
23 Apr
25 Apr
9389
9573
F R Baker
C Duncan
Table receptacle for ping pong balls.
Bats or racquets for ping pong.
30 Apr
01 May
9942
9999
W R Edwards
H M Platt
Score indicators for table-tennis.
Displaying advertisements on racquets.
02 May
02 May
10127
10128
T Sanders, Jun et al
C J Gilson
Brackets or standards for table tennis.
Ping-pong ball picker-up.
06 May
06 May
10390
10391
C H and A Johnson
C H and A Johnson
Nets for use in table tennis.
Bats for use in table tennis.
06 May
07 May
10392
10517
C H and A Johnson
F Sale-Barker
Means for attaching game apparatus.
Apparatus for picking up balls.
10 May
10749
F J Willmott
Ping-pong picker ups.
12 May
12 May
10835
10838
J Howarth
T McClelland, Jun
"Pickers-up" for table tennis.
Manufacture of bats or racquets.
12 May
14 May
10839
11006
A H Wilkinson et al
L P Asbury et al
Apparatus used in table tennis.
Ball for table tennis.
16 May
20 May
11247
11461
C H and A Johnson
T R Watson
A new or improved game.
Fielder for use in ping pong.
21 May
27 May
11562
12004
T R Cattell
G T Denyer
Picker up for ping pong balls.
Ping pong ball picker-up.
27 May
28 May
12012
12146
H O and J O Roberts
F W Smith
Ball picker-up.
Scorer for "ping-pong".
16 Jun
13623
K S Ramsay
Stand for holding ping pong apparatus.
20 Jun
14053
J B Oakley
Table or table fittings for table tennis.
23 Jun
25 Jun
14175
14353
J M Macintosh
A Daniels
Ping pong or table tennis bats.
Tables for playing table tennis.
08 Sep
19662
G France-Hayhurst
Game for parlour tables ["Pipso"].
Returning now to the mention of Hamley
Brothers and the Barker Patents [TTC 69,
page 12], this sketch of the “Smasher” bat
(Plunkett’s Patent) was published in October
1902 in an advertisement for Hamley’s New
Games. Whilst the bat obviously went into
production, it was not accompanied by the
Patent (see left, No. 8450).
Apart from the expected items of equipment for which Patent
Applications were received over this period, there were a few
other unusual ones, worthy of mention! The commercial aspect
was already in some minds, if No. 9999 is any guide. And I
would really have liked to have seen the process described in
No. 5432 for ‘removing dents’ in the obviously valuable balls
(costing, per dozen, approximately a third of the price of a
vellum racket).
This sketch, from The Lady’s Realm of June
1902, illustrates the type of bat that I suspect
Patent 8895 would have described.
But the prize goes to No. 6188! This is obviously not designed
for use at a multi-table venue! And I should imagine that even
on the dining-table at home, there might have been complaints
from other parts of the household, with buzzers or bells going
off all the time! It would keep the players awake though!
Having started researching this busy period for Applications, I
was surprised as I went on at just how many were abandoned.
But the list, unless I missed the odd one or two, is complete for
the period July 1901 to June 1902, and is further proof of just
how big a craze the game was at the time.
With thanks for their help and co-operation to Doug
Stimson and his colleagues at the Science Museum Library,
Wroughton.
7
Tang Ganxian Exhibition
2013 China Open, Suzhou
Our friend Tang Ganxian recently staged a large
exhibition at the GAC Group ITTF World Tour
China Open in Suzhou. He kindly sends some
photos to share the experience. Congratulations
Tang - well done! Suzhou will host the 2015
World Championships, 26 April - 3 May.
8
9
Ping Pong Diplomacy Souvenirs
Philatelic items
Ceramics
10
Programs & magazines
Tang with Mr XU Yinsheng, Honorary ITTF Life President
(left), and fellow collector YAO Zhenxu.
Quite an impressive photo gallery!
11
The Curtains Eventually Ease Back
by
David Hughes
(ENG)
It appears that historical situations which become
lost in the mists of time continue to elude us,
sometimes indefinitely. Years go by and we often
remain in the dark with some things remaining
hidden forever it seems. But eventually, and in
some instances, it is remarkable how missing
pieces of a jigsaw can suddenly turn up when we
least expect it. It is as though the stage curtains
have been jammed in a half open position for
decades and try as we might, we cannot seem to
draw them back any further to reveal the
interesting activity taking place just out of our line
of vision. Until - - - - - - !!
In the world of historic table tennis, we have come
a long way in recent times as a result of fascinating
new revelations about the origins of the game
dating back to 1884, and other incredible
discoveries such as the 1913 English Open
Tournament (earlier thought to have never
occurred) to name but one. One of my own
favourite subjects is no different. Much is known
and has been written about the life and playing
times of the legendary Victor Barna since his
sudden passing in Peru in 1972. We know he won
five world singles titles and there’s no doubt about
how many other victories he notched up in doubles
and mixed doubles and how he became the key
member of the Hungarian men’s team in 1929
which secured nine victories from 1926 to 1938,
seven of which were partly down to Barna’s
brilliance. In addition, we know why he left
Hungary for England and what an innovative
equipment developer he was, even from the young
age of nineteen. But various bits and pieces of
interesting information remained in the shadows
for a very long time, refusing at any point to show
us the full hand of cards. Issues such as the Walter
Briggs years, the type of racket Victor first used at
a high level, and how he came to apply external
pimpled rubber to his rackets in his very early days
– all these have remained shrouded in uncertainty
for over eighty years. And furthermore, his famous
backhand technique may not be as fully
understood as people might first think when they
watch the old film footage. We are still not a
hundred percent certain about any of these, and
maybe that final element of surety will continue
to elude us. But a number of things are clearer now
than they once were and they perhaps warrant
being mentioned at this time for the benefit of all
those members of the historic table tennis
fraternity.
When we watch the vintage black and white
footage of Victor’s unique style of game (such as
the fleeting moments from the 1949 English Open
final) we might quickly conclude that he had an
amazing backhand flick which is what made him
better than anyone else. That is true of course and
there is no doubt about it. It also has to be said
that he was well past his best by this time (aged
38) but he still demonstrated how effective his
amazing backhand continued to be. A few points
on the other side of the score board and the
tournament may yet have been his despite the fact
he was up against a feisty eighteen year old
American who was similarly brilliant and knew no
fear. The best film evidence however can be
viewed on British Pathe where an amazing clip
12
Victor Barna’s dazzling backhand flick, with an extreme follow through. (
from 1933 shows Victor knocking up against the
prominent English player, R.D Jones with the
commentary coming from the then well known
Sports Editor of the Sunday Express, Charles Eade.
A very young looking Barna had explained to Eade
how tightly he gripped the racket and Eade makes
this fact known to the viewers during the clip. This
is somewhat contrary to the modern game where
soft hands are the order of the day, especially when
short backspin dinks are being delivered.
of the ‘V’ shape (made between thumb and first
finger) pushed up tightly against the timber edge
of the opposite corner. Most important of all
though was the positioning of his thumb. On the
backhand side of the racket, the palm and the fully
extended thumb ran vertically up the handle and
very high onto the pimpled surface itself, making
almost a straight line. In the Pathe clip, Barna
conspicuously shows us much of his thumb grip
whilst Eade comments he holds the racket so
tightly that he wears out the rubber surface. The
Some of this would have occurred in the golden
shot is fleeting and we see the thumb half turned
era also, bearing in mind that many players used a over and then being completely bent over at
lot of sliced defence where gentle touch was
ninety degrees. The reason Victor moved his
similarly called for. But Victor Barna was not
thumb in this way for the camera was to enable us
especially one such player, though he did possess a to see the mark of the thumb impression. The
marvellous defence along with the incredible
worn area on the rubber demonstrates his thumb
attacking elements of his arsenal. He clasped the
was invariably positioned in a vertical location.
racket with a vice-like grip and more often than
not, hit into the ball fiercely on both wings. His
Today, we tend to sit the thumb down on top of the
backhand was truly remarkable and its full fluency third finger running parallel with the rubber where
and beauty can clearly be seen on Eade’s 1933
it meets the handle at the bottom end of the blade
presentation of Barna and Jones. Victor almost
– we often don’t touch the rubber at all with the
certainly had a very firm three-point hold on the
thumb. Victor however placed his thumb high and
racket – the forefinger ran almost parallel to the
to the right of the backhand side which amounted
right corner of the forehand side whilst the bottom to a full ninety degree difference between the
13
modern, comfortable placement and where he
wanted to position it. It is my strong belief that this
thumb position was instrumental in the delivery of
the incomparable back hand flick that Victor was able
to exercise with such power, fluency and accuracy.
He turned his wrist right over each time he made the
stroke as though to almost dislocate it in the process.
There was always a considerable follow-through and
the playing hand would then finish deep into his right
side. Sometimes the racket ended very high up and
other times (depending on the angled flick he
delivered) low down, alongside his hip. Barna had a
great attacking forehand as well, but frankly, his
backhand flick was quite
something else. He pioneered
it of course and it took
everyone by surprise when it
first appeared. No one could
handle it or emulate it! Reid
says this, “By now (1930)
Victor had developed his
backhand flick to its classic
best and it was later to
become the most famous of
all his shots. No player, before
or since has produced a
backhand of that type with
the same deadliness and
consistency.”
to Ivan and another to Victor. Everything rested on
the third and deciding game where both players
threw everything they had at each other. The score
in that third and final game concluded around the
38:36 mark – to Barna. (These two figures may well
have steadily increased over the years, along with
Ivan’s own grand old age, but it must have been a
great tale to listen to in person nonetheless).
Victor was so impressed with the ferocious and
unexpected opposition he encountered in this final
that he handed Ivan the bat he had been playing with
as a token of gratitude and kindness. This was
seventy five years ago when
Ivan was about 21 and Victor,
27 and Ivan kept the racket
safe in his own possession
thereafter.
It must be
remembered that Barna was
only three years beyond his
fifth world singles title and
was still a truly exceptional
player. If the story is
essentially true, then what a
battle Ivan must have put up
against the most formidable
of all opponents. Barna had
broken his playing arm in a
car accident in 1935 which
maybe why he was never
quite so strong in the years
Victor Barna was well known
that followed. But he was still
to be a true gentleman who
extremely good and this was
would encourage every table
clearly borne out in that well
tennis player he met and
known English final in 1949,
would always do his best to
fourteen years later. In his
help wherever he could. This
mid nineties, Ivan Slade
eternal kindness and the very
The prestigious St. Bride Vase for the World
decided he would like Victor’s
high position of his thumb on
Singles Champion, hoisted 5 times by Barna.
racket to go to a good home.
the backhand side of the
racket reminds me of a story that is worth telling here He was told about me and my interest in Barna and
though I hasten to add that the full facts are never agreed that I should get Victor’s racket. I was very
likely to be substantiated. An Englishman by the keen to see the racket to try to locate the
name of Ivan Slade relocated to the United States in unmistakable high thumb impression on the back
the mid fifties from England. He was himself a very hand side. I later found out that Ivan had stripped off
able table tennis player and in 1938 he entered a the original rubber and had used the racket with a
tournament in Europe and made it to the final. His replacement rubber. Eventually, he took that rubber
opponent in that final proved to be a very serious off as well and the bat was to be passed to me, bare
obstacle indeed for it was none other than the world bladed. I was a little disappointed that I would not
famous Victor Barna. In his advancing years, Ivan get to see the original rubber but taking Ivan at his
often recounted the tale of how he gave Barna one word was good enough for me and I looked forward
of the best matches of his life. One game of 21 went to receiving the bat. Regrettably, a few days after I
14
had made personal contact with Ivan, he passed But when did this racket first appear? It is generally
away in his mid nineties and the racket disappeared thought to be dated from about 1928 and is likely to
have been used by Victor as a teenager and possibly
off the radar.
used to great effect in 1929 and perhaps in the
We know that Victor had a liaison with Walter Briggs couple of years that followed. If it wasn’t this actual
Ltd of London whose company manufactured Briggs racket that was used by Victor to play his first men’s
Barna rackets for a number of years and we also team event, it would have been one of a very similar
know that Barna joined Dunlop in 1946 and became type. It is said that Victor passed the racket to the
responsible for a whole range of Dunlop Barna table Romanian in the early nineteen fifties, another
tennis rackets thereafter. But what racket did Victor significant sign of Barna’s great generosity bearing
use in 1929 to play the men’s team matches and in mind he gave away what might have been his first
what type of racket did he use to win his first couple decent racket and one which put him on the road to
of world singles titles? The accurate answer is – we stardom. It is also worth noting that Victor must
don’t know for sure. However, another remarkable have had some sort of embossing stamp made, since
story surfaced a few years ago. A Romanian man had all early Barna rackets have the identical Barna logo.
also been given a racket by Victor many years ago This clearly shows that Victor was well in control with
and he too kept the racket until his final days till his what he wanted to achieve with his rackets (and
death aged one hundred and seven years. It was other equipment) and that he implemented all such
then that this other Victor Barna racket came to things himself in the early years. And as we will see
light, but it was no ordinary Barna bat. It was a very shortly, he never relinquished that control in
single-ply racket with a cork tip at the far end of the favour of other, independent manufacturing
handle. But like all other Barna rackets, it had companies who later agreed to use his famous
something special and that something was the name.
unmistakable and genuine logo of Barna’s own
name. The racket found its way to the display of the A further question that always haunts and taunts me
well known collector, Mike Babuin who later passed is what type of rubber did Victor deploy and when.
it to the ownership of our other friend and collector, In the mid nineteen thirties, it was almost certainly
Fabio Marcotulli. Fabio featured this remarkable Leyland and we will soon understand a little more
Barna racket in edition 67 of the magazine so a look about his rackets of that time. But again, in the light
at this edition would reveal much about this racket of the title of this feature (the curtain slowly but
surely opening more and more) another interesting
for those who might not have seen it before.
Early Barna racket,
with signature logo
and cork tip.
Marcotulli Collection.
15
tit-bit of information about rubber has just emerged.
Fabio’s friend and former Venezuelan international,
Denis Gaal (born a Hungarian) recently informed
Fabio that Victor had once told him that the first
pimpled rubber he glued to his racket was from the
cash till of a cinema – a device designed to prevent
coin slippage. Barna must have thought – ‘that looks
useful - - - I’ll glue that on my bat.’ And of course it
harks back to the tale of 1902 when E.C Goode was
said to have done a similar thing when he too stuck
on a piece of stippled or pimpled rubber, and it is
thought he was the first person to have done so. But
where did it come from – who knows? But we now
know it’s not beyond the bounds of possibility that
all such rubber came from the Leyland and
Birmingham Rubber Company, since it has quite
recently been shown that L and B were well in to table
tennis as early as 1902. The feature in edition 62
demonstrates that L and B made pimpled rubber for
the grips of horses reins. But early (Goode-style)
rubber and non-slip surfaces for cash tills - - - we don’t
know, but very possible.
fascinating discovery for it seems to pins down the
Briggs/Barna commencement date to the summer of
1934. In edition 62, I stated that it was unlikely that
Briggs manufactured Barna rackets in 1933, but 1934
was a real possibility. It’s marvellous to find the
recently discovered Trade Mark (576359) appears to
support this thought. But having said this, first glances
can be deceiving and whilst I am delighted to hear
about some concrete information from Briggs
regarding this matter, I feel it begs a further question
and casts doubt on my earlier statement. In the world
championships of 1935, 60% of all rackets used were
Briggs/Barna rackets. I now know that championship
This last section is perhaps the most interesting of all
in terms of a more obvious revelation coming to light,
although the cash-till rubber is also fascinating. A long
standing question in my mind has been – when did
Barna allow Walter Briggs Ltd to commence
manufacture of table tennis rackets using his name?
The incomparable researcher, Alan Duke, has recently
discovered an answer. And to cut straight to the
point – it appears to be 1�� August, 1934. Alan firmly
believes that no patent was ever established for this
nor indeed was there ever any design registration.
But from his studious insights to the relevant archive,
he discovered the number for a Briggs/Barna Trade
Mark (576359) which was registered by Walter Briggs
was held in the February of 1935 so how did well over
half of the world class entrants get hold of a Briggs
Barna racket, become acclimatised to it and use it
confidently only six or seven months later? To me,
this doesn’t seem possible. Alan suggests that Briggs
may have cited this 1�� August date, 1934 because
there may have been unquestionable proof on that
particular date that the company was producing
Briggs/Barna rackets. I agree – that’s a strong
Ltd in 1937, though the company claims usage from possibility. My feeling though is they would have
1�� August, 1934. For me, this is a grand and commenced such production, earlier, purely based
16
on the very short period from 1�� August 1934 to the ivorine disk. The appearance of the name itself
date of the world championships in February 1935. remained essentially unchanged. Then, seven years
later, Victor joined Dunlop and took with him, so to
Victor was already twice world champion by 1932 speak (as if Briggs had just borrowed it for its limited
and a close runner up and his input to the Hungarian production with Barna’s approval) the same, near
men’s team by then was enormous. And he never identical logo, this time placed on a maroon ovalised
rushed things. By this time there were a number of indentation in the handle rather than an ivorine inset.
companies seeking the rights to his name but he
refused them all. The biggest likelihood is Victor
responded to Walter Briggs after he won the world
singles of 1932 – maybe even after his third world
win of early 1933. The first (or perhaps the second
even) would give Briggs a realistic time scale (with
Victor’s slow but steady direction) to turn out the
first Briggs/Barna rackets some time in 1933.
Therefore, by February 1935, that same 60% would
have had time to get hold of them and use them well,
and Walter Briggs Ltd would later have been able to
advertise the fact (as it did) that 60% of rackets used
at the Worlds of 1935 were Briggs/Barna rackets. As
already mentioned, it doesn’t seem remotely
possible this would have happened if the first But once again, the word Barna remained largely the
production occurred only on the 1�� August, 1934. same as it had first appeared in the late 1920s – there
Moving on to the end of that decade, the tail-end of was simply the addition the word Dunlop on the
the Briggs story is the fact it submitted wind-up other side as well. It was clearly all Victor’s own idea
papers near the outbreak of the second world war. and he remained fully in control throughout the
A few months later, the body responsible for entire period – 1928 to 1972 when he sadly passed
approving company closures, served a compulsory away in Peru.
closure order on Walter Briggs Ltd. Alan and myself
feel sure that ‘compulsory’ is merely a legal term that
is used to describe a formal closure of such a
company and is not likely to mean anything more
than that. No one knows exactly why Briggs closed References:
down but it might have been a simple matter of them
having been around a long time, and they had come Philip Reid
to the end of their reasonable company life Alan Duke
expectancy. Perhaps there might have been the Mike Babuin
prospect of selling on in better times, but with war Fabio Marcotuli
looming, they chose to pack up and have done with Dean Norman
it.
Walter Briggs Ltd, Advertising
David
But close they did – so out went Walter Briggs and in
came a second world war, and everything ground to
a halt. But I firmly believe that Victor Barna remained
in ultimate control of all elements of his table tennis
racket, throughout. As there was no patent, he
probably allowed commencement of commercial
production on a handshake and the nod of his head,
but the only real change made to his logo (almost
certainly as a result of his own design or strong
approval) was that it was placed on an ovalised
British Pathe
17
The Penhold Grip
by
The idea to hold the table tennis bat like a penholder
historically resulted in two grip and racket variations,
as is well known: the Chinese version which is
appropriate to play near the table with fast and direct
counter-strokes and blocks and the Japanese version
which is more suitable for forehand topspin-shots or
loop-drives, respectively, from mid-distance. Despite
the fact that the penhold grip has been mainly used by
Asian athletes, and despite the analogy to eating with
chopsticks, this grip style is not an invention
distinctively made in Asia. As early as 1902, there was
a grip called “spoon” in England featured in the British
teenage magazine „The Boy´s Own Paper“ [3].
According to the article, following the spoon method
meant holding “the racquet exactly like a penholder”.
Doris Gubbins (Wales) and Zoltan Mechlovits
(Hungary), both placed second in the singles events of
the first world championships in 1926, were penhold
players [5], as well as some top-class athletes from
Eastern Europe which were well-known in the 60s, 70s
and 80s of the last century (Rudnova, Magos, M.
Karakasevic, Kalinic). However, for long periods, the
penhold grip was not necessarily linked to a playing
strategy which is decidedly offensive: Hiroji Satoh
(Japan), who became famous for using a bat exclusively
covered with thick sponge, won his 1952 world singles
title by mainly playing defensively [5]. Throughout the
1950s, 1960s and 1970s “penhold retrievers” from
China became famous using one and the same
(forehand) side of their bat to perform long-range
Gunter Straub (GER)
forehand and backhand chops (Chiang Yung-Ning,
Zhang Xielin, Ge Xinei) [4]. In order to chop penholdgrip defenders put four fingers of their playing hand on
the reverse side of the paddle. The penhold player
Annus (Anna) Sipos won the world women´s singles
championship in 1932 and defended this title one year
later, but now using the shakehand grip [5]. In China,
the idea of applying the reverse side of a penhold
racket to hit the ball was publicly put in words for the
time at a national coaches conference towards the end
of the 1980s by the later ITTF president Xu Yinsheng
[2]. Inspired by Asian players of the 60s, East German
coach Lothar Rönsch taught penhold play to young
athletes. He already incorporated the notion of a
reverse penhold backhand loop towards the end of the
1970s [1].
References:
[1] Geisler, M. (2004). Penholder in Deutschland – Interview
mit Lothar Rönsch. Tischtennis Lehre, 19 (4), 14-15.
[2] James, H. (2008). Aus Schülern wurden Meister.
tischtennis, 61 (6), 34-35.
[3] Robinson, C. M. (1993 [1902]). Ping Pong. The Boy´s Own
Paper. The Table Tennis Collector, 3, 11-14.
[4] Straub, G. (2012). In the beginning was the half-volley:
the history of defence play in table tennis – part II. The Table
Tennis Collector, 64, 12-16.
[5] Uzorinac, Z. (2001). ITTF 1926-2001 Table Tennis
Legends. Zagreb: Skaner.
18
Table Tennis Hollywood style! This unusual souvenir program promoting the First
Annual Hollywood Open in 1952 not only has a glamorous cover, but is packed full of
interesting articles: The Use of Table Tennis in Visual Training; Sponge Rubber Bats or
Unity? by Si Wasserman; Excerpts from Modern Table Tennis, by Jack Carrington;
Defense or Attack?; European Table Tennis Report; The Saga of Muscle Beach
(Tournaments) … The future 1956 World Mixed Doubles Champion Erwin Klein won
this Hollywood Open. Did he also win a kiss from cover girl Cleo?
19
Founding member
Gerald Gurney sends
this 1937 article by
Sandor Glancz, star
member of the
legendary Hungarian
Table Tennis team, who
reminisces about the
World Championships and 1929 World
Singles Champion, Fred Perry.
FRED PERRY, king of lawn tennis, has an unwritten
page in his life - his table tennis days.
I recall quite clearly Perry’s debut into
international table tennis competition. It was in
Stockholm in 1928 where players from 20 nations
had gathered to take part in the world
championships.
Prior to the singles and doubles competition, the
various countries compete annually for the
Swaythling Cup, symbolic of the world’s team
championship. Hungary, the defending champion,
met an unexpected defeat at the hands of the
English team.
One player in particular stood out on the English
team, he was a thin, tall, handsome chap with a
sparkling personality and an ever present smile - it
was Fred Perry. The name Perry didn’t mean much
at that time. In this tournament he defeated the
defending world’s champion, Doctor Jacoby, but
following this victory he didn’t fare so well. When
the world ranking was made, Perry was listed at No.
7 position. However, it was in 1929 that the English
youth reached his greatest heights.
In 1929 the world championships were held in
Budapest, Hungary, the home of the champion
Hungarian players, who ruled the table tennis
tournament. Perry came to Budapest as an
absolute outsider. The Hungarian spectators were
impatiently awaiting another local victory. It wasn’t
a question of what country had a chance to capture
the singles title, it was merely taleked of by the
spectators as to which Hungarian would triumph.
The night of the final arrived and 5,000 fans were
enthusiastically watching the final between native
M. Szabados and the youthful Englishman Fred
Perry, who had gained the final, much to the
surprise of all. Though he had scored several
brilliant victories in his march to the final, Fred was
not expected to be able to hurdle the obstacle of
one of Hungary’s outstanding players.
The match started and the enthusiastic and
cheering crowd suddenly quieted. The Englishman
was taking the lead. Oh, well, they said, it would
only be for a short time. But they were wrong, the
Englishman continued to produce brilliant play and
he scored repeatedly against the Hungarian. The
first game went to Perry. Then something unusual
happened. The crowd realized that they were
witnessing a match in which an outsider was
actually trimming one of their native sons, but the
outsider’s dashing play, brilliant tactics and his ever
present smile caught their fancy. The silence that
had existed as the Hungarians had realized their
favorite was on the road to defeat, turned to cheers
for the Englishman as he continued to play in
masterful manner. Fred Perry won the second
game of the match but dropped the third. In the
fourth game, leading at 20 to 16, Perry was unable
apparently to gain the point that would give him
the coveted title, the score became close and finally
20 to 19 and it looked as if Szabados would snatch
victory from apparent defeat, but on the next
service Fred flicked a beautiful backhand for the
point, game and championship. The crowd literally
20
went mad, rising to its feet and giving Perry an
ovation that lasted more than 10 minutes.
As he stood in the middle of the floor receiving
the plaudits of the crowd, it was apparent to this
18-year-old youth that he was enjoying one of the
outstanding moments of his life. In fact I recall in
1933 when Viktor Barna, 5 times world’s champion,
and myself were touring England, we met Fred in
Liverpool.
He had just returned the night before from a
month’s sea voyage from Australia, and hearing we
were to play he immediately made arrangements
to go to Liverpool to meet us. That evening after
the exhibition when we were eating together, he
told us that although he had been to practically
every part of the world and had many grand
memories, the night he won the world’s table
tennis championship in Budapest still lingers in his
mind as the most enjoyable moment of his life.
Perry was until 1936 the only non-Hungarian to
ever win the men’s singles title of the world. It is
an interesting fact to note that his great triumph
was the first tournament he had ever won in his
life. What a start !
After this he scored numerous victories. He also
stood out as a fine doubles player, teaming with
Charley Bull to win the English championship in
1928, 1929, and 1930 against the world’s best.
He intended to defend his world’s title in 1930,
but the sudden death of his mother made it
impossible for him to play. Up to this time he had
already achieved some fame on the lawn tennis
courts as a fine junior player. This very same year
he earned the right to play at Wimbledon where
he scored a stunning upset by defeating the Italian
player, Baron de Morpurgo, who at the time was
one of the world’s finest players.
This victory marked the start of Perry’s rise in
lawn tennis heights and at the same time the loss
to table tennis of one of its greatest players. The
rest of Perry’s story is well known to all.
Before concluding I would like to express the
opinion that Perry’s startling victory at Budapest
in 1929 made him aware of his ability and gave him
such a great confidence that he realized he could
probably do the same in lawn tennis as he had
done in table tennis - and you all know he did.
This article was originally published in the USA
Table Tennis Association’s news monthly, Table
Tennis Topics, October 1937, Vol. 5, No. 1
Reprinted courtesy of the USATT
Editor’s Note: This photo shows Fred
and the statue that was erected in his
honor in 1984, the 50�� anniversary of
Fred Perry’s first of 3 consecutive
Wimbledon singles titles.
Perry was ostracized by the tennis
establishment after turning pro in
1937; he was not allowed to play in
further Grand Slam events.
For more information about this
remarkable man read his biography,
The Last Champion, by Jon Henderson
(Yellow Jersey Press, 2009)
21
The Early Table Tennis Patentees: No. 4
Charles Barter
by Alan Duke
The Patent Office received this Application just a week
after that from Charles Witchell. It came from a young
and enterprising Electrical Engineer called Charles
Barter, from Blockley, a village in the Cotswolds, near
the Gloucestershire-Worcestershire border.
His application was for a modified form of lawn tennis
played on a table, using cork balls and covered millboard racquets.
Charles Barter was born in 1866 in Lambourn,
Berkshire. He was the second
child of Henry Barter (born in
Sarsden, Oxford, c.1836) and
Elspeth
Catherine
née
Moberly (born Winchester,
Hampshire, 1843). Henry was
Vicar of St Michael and All
Saints Church, Lambourn,
from 1862-68. The family lived
th
in the Vicarage, a fine 17
century house, which must
have been getting a bit worse for wear, as in 1884 it was
demolished, having been condemned as uninhabitable.
Soon after the birth of a second daughter in 1868, the
family moved to Shipton-under-Wychwood, where Henry
took up the position of Vicar of
the parish (1868-99). By 1881
the family had increased with
the addition of three further
sisters for Charles, who was
then away at boarding school
in Winchester. It was there
that he met Nigel Warburton,
The Vicarage, Shipton
more of whom later.
In 1887, Charles Barter was elected a Student Member
of The Society of Telegraph-Engineers and Electricians,
having been “articled as pupil for over three years and is
being educated as an electrical Engineer” with
Woodhouse & Rawson, “The Electric Supply Co. of Gt.
Britain” (who manufactured ‘incandescence lamps’ on a
large scale, very appropriate for his next venture!). He
was the first of his family for seven generations not to
enter the Church. The Society had been
re-named The Institution of Electrical
Engineers by 1890, when Charles was
transferred
from
his
Student
Membership to that of Associate
Member “because he is engaged as an
Electrical Engineer, and is now over the
age of 21”. He remained a member until
1908, and worked as an Electrical
Engineer in Blockley from about 18881892, where he joined his old friend
Nigel Warburton as fellow Director in a
new company, supervising the harnessing of water
power to produce electricity.
Blockley is a lovely village in a valley in the Cotswolds,
and has long been well-known for its streams flowing
down the hills and through the valley. This source of
water power was the reason for the large number of
water mills in the village, and for Blockley’s important
th
role during the height of the silk trade in the 18 and first
th
half of the 19 centuries, as a silk-throwing centre
(washing and spinning the silk fibres). By around 1880
22
The Early Table Tennis Patentees: No. 4
however, most of the mills were inactive or had been put
to other uses.
The Astral Works was located in the building on the left
One of those other uses was to generate electricity for
the village. Blockley has a very good claim to be “one of
the first villages in the country to have electric lighting
from the natural water power sources” (Charles Barter).
This was in 1888, not far behind the introduction to
London of this new-fangled invention! The first
generating plant in the village had been installed at
Dovedale Mill in around 1885, and provided illumination
for Dovedale House. These properties were owned by
Lord Edward Spencer-Churchill (1853-1911), youngest
son of the 6th Duke of Marlborough. Lord Edward was a
Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, and listed one
of his other interests as electricity. Blockley was thus
fortunate in having the power source, and a resident
with the knowledge and means to utilise it in the latest
technology, albeit to begin with on a small scale.
A much larger venture was the formation of the Blockley
Electric-Lighting and Manufacturing Company on 12
December 1887.
Among the signatories to the Memorandum and Articles
of Association were Edward Spencer-Churchill
(Dovedale), Henry Barter (Vicar of Shipton-underWychwood), his son Charles Barter (Electrical
Engineer), William P Warburton (Canon of Winchester),
and his son Hugh Nigel Warburton (Electrical Engineer).
The site for the new generating
plant (to be known as the Astral
Works) was Edwin Smith’s Mill
in Mill Close (built as a mill in
1843, and owned by Lord
Edward). There is also a family
connection
amongst
the
signatories, as Nigel Warburton
was a cousin of Lord Edward’s
wife, Augusta Warburton. I think it safe to assume that it
is this family connection that brought Charles’ school
friend, Nigel Warburton (then also an Electrical
Engineer) to the village, and consequently also led to
Charles’ involvement.
The heavy plant was
installed
in
the
basement of the mill,
with accommodation above for the Engineers. Nigel
Warburton [on left in photo, taken at the mill], Charles
Barter [on right], and one of their
apprentices are all listed as living in
The Close at times during their
period in Blockley. Electric light
came to the village in stages in
1888, with the church, grocery shop
and nearby streets being the first to
benefit. It was whilst in Blockley in
1891 that Charles submitted his
Patent Application for “A New
Game”. There was obviously plenty
of room in the large building for him
to practise and perfect his invention,
as in later years the southern part of the building was
converted into an Institute, equipped with a stage and
dressing rooms and the other amenities of a modern
village hall, where billiards and ‘other games’ were
played (my italics). He did not restrict himself to just the
one Patent application, as there were also others for an
electric lamp, a golf club, and a trestle (the trestle
application later being abandoned, but did he perhaps
have this in mind for table tennis tables?).
During his years in Blockley, Charles immersed himself
in the life of the village e.g. appearing in amateur
theatrical performances, playing football (outside right)
and cricket (slow leg-spin bowler) for the village teams,
even joining the cricket committee. He also served in the
nd
2 Volunteer Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment.
It was whilst in Blockley that he met his future wife, one
of the daughters of Canon Houghton (pronounced
Horton), living at The Vicarage, just the other side of the
church from Mill Close.
In 1893, Charles moved to Birmingham, at the time
described as the workshop of the world, and the heart of
the Industrial Revolution. He also switched specialities,
working with William Fowler Carter as Heating
Engineers, based at 41 Banbury Street. But he
remained a Director of
the Blockley Lighting
Company until it ceased
business in 1896, when
all plant and stock was
auctioned off to meet all
its
liabilities.
Nigel
Warburton had returned
to
Winchester
to
continue working as an
Electrical Engineer, but
23
The Early Table Tennis Patentees: No. 4
Charles, of course, also had another interest in Blockley,
and often during his engagement cycled the 35 miles of
unsurfaced roads from Birmingham - on a tricycle!
Luckily though, he was fortunate in having a very
convenient alternative means of transport between the
two locations. Blockley Station was just 1½ miles north
of the village, and was on the GWR line to
Wolverhampton, whilst in the other direction it passed
through Shipton (his family home) en route to Oxford.
Charles married Mary Cecilia Houghton at the Parish
Church (St Peter and St Paul) in Blockley on Thursday
30 April 1896, with his father officiating (the local vicar
being busy giving his daughter away!), and Nigel
Warburton as best man. Mary was born in 1869 in
Redditch,
Worcestershire,
to
Canon Edward Houghton and
Hannah Maria née Walford. She
attended
boarding-school
in
Worcester, and went on to gain an
Associate of Arts (Oxon). The
wedding was a big occasion in the
village, and the parishioners had
decorated the churchyard with
arches, the vicarage entrance with
flowers, and the square with flags
and greenery. A thunderstorm hit
the village shortly before the 2.15
ceremony, but fortunately the rain
stopped in time for the wedding,
and later in the day the sun shone
brightly. The church was filled with
guests and parishioners, including
Lady Edward Spencer Churchill
(one of the witnesses on the
Marriage
Certificate),
and
following the service, all adjourned
to the wedding breakfast served in
a marquee on the Vicarage lawn.
The newly-weds departed later in the afternoon for their
honeymoon in Rye, Sussex.
They set up home in Edgbaston, the then up-market
residential area of Birmingham, and Charles continued
in business as a Heating
Engineer (although describing
himself as a Civil Engineer in
1901) until his retirement. For
most of that time, the
Company was at the same
premises, 121-122 Suffolk
Street (far right in photo, now
demolished and used as a
parking area), although it
went through a few changes
in that time. As
Managing Director
(and
Secretary)
until 1922, Charles
steered
the
company through
difficult times, always supported by his wife (often a
Director herself), employing her organisational and
typing skills in the office. Charles continued to submit
many Patent Applications, almost all concerned with his
trade, and often in collaboration with colleagues.
By 1904, his family had increased to five, with the births
of Charles junior, Arthur and Elspeth. Whilst not well off,
the children enjoyed a happy
childhood, with seaside holidays
taken at Seaview, Isle of Wight,
where Nigel Warburton had a
house, and later at Littlehampton
visiting a friend of Mary’s. The two
boys also spent time at Blockley
with their grandparents during the
school holidays, having cycled there
with their father (the roads still
unmade, causing many punctures!).
Through the
years, their
homes
in
Edgbaston
also served as home to various
guests and relatives, until in
1947 Charles and Mary moved
to Walton-on-Thames, Surrey,
Walton
to live with their daughter
Elspeth and her family.
TIMELINE
7.7.1866
1866-1868
1868
1881
c1883-1887
10.2.1887
c1887-1892
1.9.1888
23.1.1890
c1893-1897
30.4.1896
1897
13.12.1897
1898
29.4.1899
6.11.1900
c1903
1st Qtr 1904
21.7.1904
1907
c1913
27.4.1923
1923-1932
1933
1947
29.11.1954
16.6.1958
20.6.1958
Born in Lambourn, Berkshire
Lived at The Vicarage, Lambourn
Moved to The Vicarage, Shipton-u-Wychwood, Oxon
Boarding at school; 18 Edgar Road, Winchester
Woodhouse & Rawson, 11 Queen Victoria St, London
Elected as Student Member to The Society of TelegraphEngineers and Electricians; Living at 62 Iffley Road,
Hammersmith
Astral Works, The Close, Blockley
Blockley Church lit by electric light
Elected as Associate Member to The Institution of
Electrical Engineers; Living in Blockley
Heating Engineer at 41 Banbury Street, Birmingham
Married Mary Cecilia Houghton at Blockley Church
Living at 152 Bristol Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham
Company taken over by Benjamin Parker Ltd (Directors
Charles Barter and Thomas Taylor)
Elected to Institution of Heating & Ventilating Engineers
Birth of Charles Moberly (‘Carol’) Barter, Birmingham
Birth of Arthur Reginald Barter, Birmingham
Moved to 107 Gough Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham
Birth of Elspeth Claire Barter, Birmingham
Presented paper to IHVE summer meeting in Liverpool:
‘Smokeless and economical burning of fuel’
Company wound up; re-incorporated, still Benjamin
Parker Ltd, 122 Suffolk Street, with C Barter as Director
Moved across the road to 122 Gough Road
Effects sold by Receiver to Mr S Bagley
Technical Manager at Bagley & Parker, 122 Suffolk St.
(‘Successors to Benjamin Parker Ltd’)
Life Member of IHVE
Moved to The Chantry, 51 Ashley Road, Walton, Surrey
Mary died (Walton-on-Thames); cremated 1.12.1954
Died of prostate cancer at Weybridge Hospital
Cremated at Woking Crematorium; ashes dispersed
24
The Early Table Tennis Patentees: No. 4
However, that is not quite the end of the story as far as
Blockley is concerned. When in his 80s, Charles did
make a pilgrimage to the scene of the momentous
events of his early life, and also to his childhood home
at Shipton, having been taken on the grand tour by his
son, Arthur. [Brigadier A R Barter, BA (Hons), had a
very successful career with the Royal Artillery, serving
as Military Attaché in Rome and Lisbon during the
Second World War, despite being badly injured in
action. In later public life he employed his linguistic skills
to obtain a degree in Modern Languages, and went on
to teach in schools, and to write a number of books on
the teaching of languages.]
department, thereafter leaving it to itself to work till the
following Monday”.
Patent Applications
Year
No.
Description
1891 6491 Trestle for tables (abandoned)
1891 6492 Lamp holder
1891 6993 Golf club
1891 19070 A New Game
1902 11715 Water heating apparatus 1
1903 27129 Castors for tables, chairs, etc
1904 23310 Steam heater and boiler 2
1905 8339 Apparatus for heating water
1905 8340 Apparatus for heating water
1905 15570 Warming of buildings 2
1905 16343 Heating by steam circulation 2
1906 6031 Steam traps
1907 11588 Air release valves 3
1910 6285 Apparatus for heating water 4
1921 183981 Hot water heating systems 4
1921 184919 High pressure valve devices 4
1932 401093 Hot water heating systems
Charles Barter died in 1958 at Weybridge Hospital. He
was remembered as a mild man, who never swore or
lost his temper. He, along with Mary, performed in
amateur dramatics (in Birmingham, as well as Blockley),
and enjoyed watching Gilbert and Sullivan productions.
Charles had a beautiful voice, performing many of the
great religious works as a solo chorister. He was also a
keen gardener and talented artist. His sense of humour
was demonstrated in his introduction to a paper he
presented to the IHVE. For example, he apologised for
the paper being of a sketchy nature rather than a
technical document, as he was “an extremely busy
heating engineer, … not able to go to the office on
Monday morning and wind up the mainspring of my
1
2
3
4
With Thomas Taylor
With Thomas Taylor and Joseph Westwood
With Joseph William Westwood
With Samuel Bagley
Thanks for all their help to Sue Roach (Blockley), Sarah Hale (The IET), Jamie Symington, Anthea Redmond, and
Frank Ferris and Brian Roberts (IHVE / hevac-heritage group). With acknowledgements to “Out of All Character” by
A R Barter (1978), and “Blockley through Twelve Centuries” by H E M Icely (1988).
The Early Table Tennis Patentees and Inventors:
Updates
by Alan Duke
With the completion of both these series of articles, it is perhaps an opportune moment to
include a few items which have inevitably been discovered since the original publications.
David Foster’s association with the Wesleyan Methodists is now known to have continued until
at least 1912, when he was involved in the renovation of the
Burn Chapel (near Selby). More recently, local newspapers
have supported the research, with a short piece in the Selby
Times of 16 December 2010 requesting information, and then a full-page feature (see left) in the Selby Post of 17
February 2011. Selby Civic Society have included the Micklegate address in a forthcoming Heritage Trail leaflet.
Much new information has been discovered about Emma Barker, some of which was included in the article in TTC69
featuring her husband and son, for example her description: “With her jet-black hair and dark blue eyes, she described
herself as half-Irish by descent; vivacious, but moody, and although conventional in the Victorian way, she could
satirise the typical social traditions of the period.” Emma was naturally of a sunny and affectionate disposition, but her
grand-daughter Mabel had described her in later years as ‘sad and resigned’. The reason for this is likely to be that, in
addition to losing two young children soon after arriving in New Mexico, her deep respect and admiration for her
husband had been replaced by bitterness for “the lack of active affection and sympathy” displayed towards her. This
was confided to her daughter Millicent, visiting her mother for a few days during her final illness.
A reference (admittedly from 1949) to James Gibb, in connection with the introduction of celluloid balls in “about
1900”, is of particular interest because of its specific reference to Gossima: “He was a keen player of ‘Gossima’,
probably the most popular of these table games, and on a visit to America discovered these celluloid balls in use as
toys.” (Sunday Pictorial Sports Parade). The updated version of the original article on James Gibb has recently been
published in the Spring 2013 edition of The South London Harriers Gazette.
Finally, a couple of minor additions: Practising at the Stroud family firm, Charles Witchell operated mainly from their
Cainscross office; and Vivian Johnstone was buried on 25 May 1931 in Gap Road Cemetery, Wimbledon (C/C/386).
25
Philatelic Update
27.9.2013 was certainly a big day in the history of Table Tennis philately,
celebrating two stamps jointly issued by China and Sweden, along with 40
Table Tennis postmarks from cities around China. The blue stamp,
showing Jan-Ove Waldner, a well-respected legend in China, marks the
first time a foreigner has been featured on a Chinese stamp. Special thanks
to Tang Ganxian for all the images and city identifications.
Henan Jiyuan
Ningbo, Zhejiang
Jiaxing
Tianjin
Shanghai
Nanjing, Jiangsu Province
Liaoning Province, Shenyang
Beijing
Special thanks to Hans-Peter Trautmann, Winfried Engelbrecht, Tang Ganxian, and Marc
Templereau for their helpful inputs.
26
Yangzhou, Jiangsu
Beijing
Changzhou, Jiansu Province
Fujian, Fuzhou
Guiyang, Guizhou Province
Fujian, Xiamen
Jianzhou, Liaoning Province
Huzhou, Zhejiang
Harbin, Heilongjiang Province
Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province
Hebei, Qinhuangdao
Wuxi, Jiangsu Province
27
Henan Province Pingdingshan
Shenzhen Guangdong
Province
Dalian, Liaoning Province
Xining Qinghai province
Henan Province Pingdingshan
Jiangmen Guangdong Prov.
Tongzhou Jiangsu Province
Shandong Province, Jinan
Beijing philatelic collection Expo - Sports
philatelic collection day, Beijing
Wenzhou, Zhejiang
28
Changshu, Jiangsu Province
Jiangsu Province Changshu
Asian Youth Games; Table Tennis
August 16th, Jiangsu Province
12th Chinese National Games
Table Tennis Sep. 1-10th
2013, Anshan, Liaoning Prov.
China Open August 14-18
Suzhou, Jiangsu Province
6th East Asian Games table
tennis Oct.5th-15th, Tianjin
The Swedish souvenir sheet and first day postmarks from both China and Sweden.
29
Beijing
Beijing
Sweden 28.09.2013
Free Markets Day.
Arboga, & Vaggeryd
Souvenir sheet for the joint issue. Sweden, 27 September 2013
30
South Africa 29 July 2013, for the
World Transplant Games. Issued
in sheets/10 self adhesive stamps.
Art by Peter Sibanda.
This German card was available only at the the China International
Collection Expo in Beijing, 26-29 September 2013
This postcard from Croatia celebrates 40 years of a lottery that benefits sports
31
These maxicards show photos
that were used in the design of
the joint issue stamps. The
above photo of Deng Yaping is
exactly the same form as used
on the stamp.
The Waldner serving photo is
similar to the stamp, but not
exact, with several differences:
hair, eyes, shirt, racket & ball,
hand position. Does this
suggest a private issue? Found
on both ebay and delcampe.
32
Auction Action
This season has seen a good variety of early boxed sets and
rackets. It is quite remarkable that 2 “Gossima or Ping-Pong”
sets should surface nearly at the same time. This name was
in use only for a brief time before Jaques reversed the name
order to Ping-Pong or Gossima, so they are rather scarce. A
set of the latter was found with Hamley’s address in place of
the more usual “causing immense excitement …” (left)
Above: Upper right corner of PingPong or Gossima set in wood box,
“To be obtained at Hamley Bros. …”
instead of the usual “causing
immense excitement …”
Right: Gossima or Ping-Pong set
with bright box top lithograph, and
6 plain wood rackets, probably not
all original to the set. In a spirited
auction the set sold for a very
competitive £532.
It is rare to find a Gossima
or Ping-Pong set in a wood
box. Includes 3 crosshatched rackets from the
1920s-30s game of TABTEN (see issue 69) plus a
plain wood bat with thin
handle, “The King”. Label
worn. Sold for £265
33
175 Euros seems a bargain price for this French Ping Pong set in wood box with
sliding lid, pair of strung rackets, folding free-standing net (wide mesh) and rules.
Was this a pirate, or did the maker have an agreement with Jaques & Hamley?
Pair of netposts with “Hamleys Ping Pong”
stamped into brass fixture. The posts have
extra holes for net extensions. Sold for only
£15. Hamleys first had the ‘Ping Pong ‘ trademark, then became ‘jointly concerned’ with
Jaques. Was this made & sold before that
arrangement with Jaques, or did Hamleys
make the posts & retain rights to use only
their name?
Jaques TEMA 12-ball
tube, £49
34
More often found as Table Tennis, this Tischtennis set by JW Spear of Bavaria sold for an amazing low
price of only 13 Euros. The box top lithograph is in beautiful condition. Pair of plain wood bats.
Pair of Jaques net extensions, a bargain at $10
Fine pair of early sandpaper covered wood
rackets with rounded heads. A 3-way
bidding war pushed the price up to an
astounding £145 for sandpaper rackets.
Pair Spalding bats, suede wrapped handles, with 1902 booklet & white net.
This ensemble sold for a very high £350, then immediately re-sold for £345 !?
35
Ice cream mold in shape of an early
Ping Pong racket, only $22
Hand-held advertising fan, one of 4
designs in the series, 1904. $16
German beer stein, pewter lid engraved
Ping Pong Doubles 1�� prize Santa Barbara,
July 1903. $22
Japanese ceramic, c.1950, $30. A racket in
each hand!
Stereoview, Ping Pong on the deck of a Pacific
Mail steamship, 1904., Fine condition. $27
36
Lawn Tennis and Croquet, the Official
Organ of the Lawn Tennis Association,
the Badminton Association, the
Croquet Association, and the Table
Tennis Association. Dated 5 November
1902. How many issues included Table
Tennis articles, and can someone
kindly share some copies for our
magazine?
“Le Ping Pong” from the
French Femina magazine, April
1902. Note the rounded
corners of the table. 7.50 Euro
Be sure to check all magazines,
from 1902, the peak year of
the new game. Many are
likely to have engravings with
Ping Pong motif, especially in
England, France and Germany,
but likely most all of Europe we saw a beautiful example in
a Hungarian magazine in TTC
issue 63.
37
£82caption
for this beauty, a Jaques Ping Pong drum
racket with red leather wrapped bulbous grip.
ption sketch of a man’s face on the vellum.
Pencil
£90 for a Jaques plain wood Ping
Pong racket !?
“The Prince” wood racket with
nice short bulbous grip. £102
Very well preserved pair of vellum battledores, found in a set of Ping
Pong or Gossima. £99
38
Pair of familiar vellum battledores, average condition. £49
Pair of 1902 era Jaques Ping-Pong vellum battledores.
Sold for a surprising £117, quite a high price for relatively
common rackets.
Coleman Clark boxed hardbat, wrapped handle, rules
brochure, $123.50
Two plain wood rackets, rather high
price for these at £72.
Pair of Mally Bulldog bats faced with vellum.
Two determined bidders pushed this to £170
Hardbat with leather trim & wrapped handle, £10
39
Cor du Buy RUBIN, in original bag,
Unsold at $250
Michel Haguenauer (FRA) racket with photo
decal & signature,fine condition. 203 Euros.
Swedish STIGA poster, 70 x 50 cm. $180
Stiga Alser in original box, $71
Modern “8bat” with unusual grip £33.50
Beautifully preserved Hock bat, No. 74. $127.50 after
46 bids! Your editor used this style racket during his
hardbat days. They had a beautiful baritone sweetspot sound.
40
Noted veteran Dean Johnson (USA) teamed
with the amazingly prolific Tim Boggan to
begin a new series of in-depth profiles of
“World Class American Table Tennis
Players of the Classic Age.” Volume I
features 1936 & 1937 World Singles
Champion Ruth Aarons, and Jimmy
McClure, who won the World Men’s
Doubles title 3 consecutive times, 1936-38,
and founded the ITTF Hall of Fame.
Volume II is also soon to be published.
Tantalizing title, but only 28 pages?!
That’s not much to say about the
greatest ever players. Available on
amazon.com
Looking forward to this work, “Ping
Pong Diplomacy - the Secret History
Behind the Game that Changed the
World” by renowned author Nicolas
Griffin. It will be published on 14
January. Advance orders available via
amazon.com
41
Collector Directory
Günther Angenendt ebay thorin2001
Langacker 10a 44869 Bochum, Germany
+49-2327-77117 ttanpp@gmx.de
Pre-war World Ch Programs; all Ttitems
German boxed sets & bats; TT pins
Jorge Arango jharango@une.net.co
Cl. 10 No. 25-103 Ap.116 Medellin Columbia
Philatelic & general TT items Ebay: nofrah37
Michael L. Babuin, PhD USA
PO Box 3401 Cary N,c. 27519 ebay: sircules
mike.babuin@townofcary.org
Pre-1905 books, old film copies, programs
Oliver Born Germany
born4TT@freenet.de www.old-butterfly.de
Old Butterfly rackets, especially Korpa
Keith Bowler
14 Ewell Street, Balmain, N.S.W.
2041 Australia (02) 98104128
Old magazines, publications up to 1961
Fabrice Chantriaux France
10 Rue des Chevrefeuilles F-45130 Saint-Ay
02.38.88.82.11
Fax: 02.38.45.94.29
F.chantriaux@wanadoo.fr Stamps, cancels,
Postcards, posters, old papers on TT
Colin Clemett colin@clemett.demon.co.uk
7 Brookmead Way, Havant PO9 1RT UK
Historical documents
Fabio Colombo Italy
drfabioc@gmail.com
http://drfabiocolombo.ilbello.com/
Table Tennis books, World Rankings. Author
Seeking STIGA Stipancic rackets
Ron Crayden (ENG) in Memoriam
Andre Demeure Belgium 02/770.55.29
Place de Mai 10 B-1200 Brussels
A.m.demeure@skynet.be Cancels, coins, red
meters, stationeries, color proofs, artist
sheets, stamps (perf+imperf), postcards
Jean Devys Residence La petite vigne,
20 rue Edgar Quinet, A16 F-59100 Roubaix
France 33.320828444 Fax: 33.320650849 TT
philately, cycling jean.devys@orange.fr
Sergio Durazzano durazzano@aruba.it
Via Girardini 8, 33100 Udine, Italy
0432.21105 Stamps & historical books
Winfried Engelbrecht Germany
Virgiliastr.21 D-45131 Essen 49.201.78.6795
winfried.engelbrecht@imail.de Philately:
Stamps, FDCs, Sheets, Postmarks, books,
phonecards, tickets, stickers, W.C. Programs
Romualdas Franckaitis
Rfanckaitis@gmail.com
Gao Yi-bin gaoyibin2008@hotmail.com
2-202 Lakeside Apartment, Jiangning,
Nanjing, P.R.China 211100
+8625 5212 3334 TT stamps, FDC, postcards
phonecards, coins, medals, pins, cancels
Martin Holland mjh44now@yahoo.co.uk
44 Victoria Road, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria
England BA14 5JU TT postcards & trade cards
Rolf Jaeger USA Tennisheritage@aol.com
Tennis and Table Tennis items
Custom jewelry: www.tennisboutique.com
Roman Gelman rgpinman@aol.com
24 Taverngreen Court, Baltimore, MD. USA
21209 410 602 0267 Pins,,badges,medals
Dean Johnson
USA
3404 Holly Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23451
(757) 478 3605 djab2b@aol.com
David George Scotland 01236 872350
rhona@jonathangibb.co.uk
TT items for sale, list available.
Jean-Francois Kahn France
49 rue Leonardo da Vinci, 77330 Ozoir la
Ferriere jean-francois.kahn@upmc.fr
+33 1 40779762 TT philately: imperf stamps
Sheets, color proofs, minister/artist sheets,
errors, postmarks, meters, FDCs, specimens
David Good dgood42@yahoo.com
710 N.Waverly, Dearborn, MI 48128 USA
+1 313 278 5271 c.1900 sets, equipment,
ephemera, memorabilia
Scott Gordon USA sgordon@hardbat.com
5340 Shelato Way, Carmichael, CA 95608
+1 916 978 0117 www.hardbat.com films
Historic films,classic era hardbats, old books
Gordon Gotal mim-borovo@zg.htnet.hr
Meduliceva 23 Zagreb 10000 Croatia
+3851 4848 687 Exch: TT pins, medals, postcards Acquire: WC & EC official badges
Steve Grant NY, NY USA author
Nyman455@yahoo.com ebay: prompt101
Ping Pong Diplomacy, Early 1900s TT
Esko Heikkinen esko.heikkinen@diacor.fi
Vainamoisenkatu 9 B 17 Helsinki 00100
Finland +358 50 62532 Stiga bats, TT history
axel.dickhaus@freenet.de TT balls, phone cards
Alan Duke alan-duke2@talktalk.net
2 Shapwick Close, Swindon WILTS. England
SN3 3RQ UK +44 (0) 1793 531234
History, music & photo record of TT items
Rex Haggett rex.haggett@ntworld.com
27 Meadow Close, Stratford-upon-Avon
Warwickshire, CV37 9PJ England
+44 (0) 1789 269352
Philately
+49 (0)2171 32108 Fax: 49 (0)2171.731478
Chuck Hoey Curator, ITTF Museum
Chemin de la Roche 11, RENENS 1020
Switzerland museum@ittf.com
Art bats, unusual bats, historic photos,
Important medals, museum quality items
Lithuania
Gerald Gurney
+44.1206.230330
Guildhall Orchard, Great Bromley Colchester
ESSEX CO7 7TU England. All racket games, All
equipment, ephemera. Historian, author.
Worldwide exhibitions. Swimming items.
Exch: boxed sets, postcards, books, rackets
Axel Dickhaus Germany
Atzienbacherf Str. 88 D-51381 Leverkusen
Barry Hayward UK
19 Little Hardwick Road, Streetly
West Midlands WS9 0SD
barry_hayward@LHRstreetly.freeserve.co.uk
Christian Klaus Möllersdorf, Austria
43.664.8546343 christian.klaus@agum.net
TT stamps, cancels, postcards, autograph
cards, FDCs, historic photos, magazines,
Newspapers, score-lists, books, posters …
Jan Kleeven sjangkleeven@planet.nl
Margrietstraat 63 6373 NN Landgraaf
Netherlands Pins, flags, pennants, stamps,
Phonecards, stickers
Matti Kolppanen Finland
Kollekannaksent 12E, FI-02720 Espco
matti.kolppanen@kolumbus.fi
TT history, TT postcards
Randy Koo
Netherlands
Torenwacht 37, 2353 DB Leiderkorp
+31 071 5417413 rkoo@planet.nl
Stamps mint, postmarks, red meters, FDC
Hans Kreischer +34965698195
Avenue les Comargues 21, Busot-Allicante
03111 Spain hanskreischer@hotmail.com
www.ttmuseum.nl
Kevin Lau USA kevintennis@yahoo.com
7544 N.Claremont Ave, Chicago, IL 60645
773-719-0860 Philatelic, pins, coins,
memorabilia, souvenir & decorative items
42
Collector Directory
Caron Leff csleff@aol.com USA
9201 Lalique Lane #1602, Ft. Myers, FL
33919 Interest: pins
Francis Leibenguth France
1 résidence des Hauts de Villebon 91140
Villebon-sur-Yvette +33951966614
stanfl54-hardbat@yahoo.fr
Vintage bats (esp hardbats), vintage sets
http://raquettes-collection.blog4ever.com
Jorgen Lindh joli@mbox303.swipnet.se
Egnahemsgatan 13D S-43242 Varberg
SWEDEN
ebay ID: joliswede
Steve Luck, 12 Liskey Hill, Perranporth,
Cornwall TR6 0ET Phone: 07860 446209
steve@stevelucktennis.com racket sports,
rowing, billiards, croquet, archery ...
Fabio Marcotulli
Venezuela
lailagalvez@yahoo.com ebay ID: zappiros
Barna rackets, TT items from all eras
Hubert Menand
hubert.menand@laposte.net
President, AFCTT (French TT Collectors)
Eldon Mohler eam2@ix.netcom.com
1820 E.Warm springs Rd.
Suite 112 Las Vegas. NV 89119 USA
Fax: +1-702-453-8472
Erik Kenneth Muhr England UK
2 Highgate Hill, Hawkhurst KENT TN18 4LB
01580 752676 History of Table Tennis
kenmuhr@btopenworld.com
Rudolf Mueller Germany
Bahnhofstr. 58 D-57250 Netphen 027381461 Stamps, cancels, letter, error, red
meters r-mueller-netphen@t-online.de
Jan Nusteleyn Netherlands
Weserstraat 21, 9406 VP Assen 0592356050 e-mail: nleyn@hotmail.com
Stamps, mint perforated FDCs red meters,
cancels WC, EC, EC-Youth, Top-12
Robert Op de Beeck +03/455.41.59
J.F.Willemstraat 66 2530 Boechout BELGIUM
Alberto Prieto USA
alberto@valortabletennis.com
Robin Radford
rjradford@xtra.co.nz
16 St Edmund Cr TAWA, Wellington, NZ
+64 04 232 5672
TT cartoons, comic strips, clip art
Jose Ransome
”Conifers” Church Lane ORMESBY
Middleborough TS7 9AU ENGLAND
01642 322223 ajransome@aol.com
Geoff Reed
21 Beaulieu Park, St Helier.
Jersey JE24RN reedgeojtta@gmail.com
44.01534.730132 Table Tennis history
Helmut Reinhardt
Friedrich-Voss-Platz 19,
D-24768 Rendsburg, GERMANY
H.Reinhardt-Stral@kabelmail.de
Ortwin Schiessl
Austria
Lascygasse 14-16, A-1170 WIEN
ortwin.schiessl@aon.at table tennis
philately: Stamps, sheets, FDC, postmarks
Lutz Schoenfeld
Germany
selling Table Tennis items on ebay: pongiste
e-mail: rulusch@t-online.de
Martin Senn
St. Gallen, Switzerland
e-mail: keys@swissonline.ch
Seeks old Stiga blades & catalogues
Luigi Simeoni luigi_simeoni@libero.it
Via Ponte S.Pancrazio 2/a 37133 Verona
Italy 0039 045 532033 TT Balls, catalog
Harry Sintemaartensdijk Netherlands
Julianastraat 8,2651 DP Berkel en Rodenrijs
0031 105114621 harry.smd@kpnmail.nl
Tischtennis Aufklebers/stickers
Tang Gan Xian P.R.China
tangganxian2013@163.com
Qing Hu 4-35-104, ChangShu 215500
+86-512-52722359 TT stamps, FDC, pins
postmarks, postcards, phonecards,tickets,
Marc Templereau France tpam@free.fr
Florian Pagel Germany flo.p@gmx.net
16 Hameau des cerisiers 38150 Roussillon
Older Banda, Stiga, Joola, Butterfly, Imperial Secretary, AFCTT (French TT Collectors
Assoc) http://afctt.over-blog.com
Gregory Pinkhusovich
Collections : stamps, FDC, players postcards,
Apt.10, h.2 Sheshet Ha-Yamim Str
autographs, programs
Ariel 40700 ISRAEL +972-54-3394739
gpinkhusovich@yahoo.com
TTpins, badges, medals, coins
Michael Thomson
1 Kinnoull Terrace, PERTH
PH2 7DJ SCOTLAND UK 01738 622052
thomsonmfamily@blueyonder.co.uk
Jaques and history of Table Tennis
Solazzi Tonino solton66@virgilio.it
Via Millefonti 6 / 5 10126 Torino, Italy
00393391870279 Table Tennis pins
Hans-Peter Trautmann Germany
Siegfriedstr. 17 64385 Reichelsheim
hpt@hptrautmann.de ebay ID: hpt146
Stamps mint, perf + imperf, sheets, color
proofs, minister/artist sheets, postmarks,
errors, red/blue meters
Graham Trimming
Rosemount Juniper Lane
Wooburn Green, Bucks HP10 0DE England
44 (0) 1628 529609
graham.trimming@virgin.net pre-1939 TT
items, esp c.1900s. Acquire: Gossima 1891;
early unusual items; early World Ch items.
Nikola Turk nikola.turk@zg.t-com.hr
Ulica Pavla Hatza 26, Zagreb 10000 Croatia
Sport historian, Sport-recreation activist,
journalist Professor of Kinesiology. Philatelic
Damir Uzorinac Croatia
Prilaz Gjure Dezelica 20 10000 Zagreb
Damir.Uzorinac@pliva.hr 38598474982
Books, pins, stamps, cancellations
Russ Walker
4316 Irving Ave N, MPLS MN 55412 USA
+1-612-522-7905 ebay ID: russw58
Early 1900s equipment & boxed sets
russwalker0638@comcast.net
Yao Zhenxu
Room 401 Unit 1 Building 2
No. 4 Dongsikuaiyu South Street
Chongwen District, Beijing 100061, China
+86-13911990508 cttayao@china.com
TT stamps, FDC, postcards, coins, pins,
phonecards, postal material, tickets etc
Jos Zinkstok Netherlands
Neckarstraat 8 NL9406 VN ASSEN
+31 592 350486 Fax: 0031 592 355861
j.zinkstok@poveia.nl
website: www.poveia.nl
TT cancellations, stamps, vignettes, on
real used, letters/covers/cards, FDC
Anton Zwiebel In Memoriam
43
Back Page
The best for last … This was shown in issue 45, and more is now
known about it. The artist was Shen Bocheng, and it was
published in 1901, Shanghai Beauties. The verse: “The vernal
breezes brush beside you, around two sides of the net, with light
bat in hand, you send the bouncing star back and forth”.
Important evidence of the game in China as early as 1901. Special
thanks to Museum friend Zhang Zhe (CHN).
Shen Bocheng 1901, Shanghai Beauties
Copyright ITTF Museum 2013 Published by the ITTF Museum: Chemin de la Roche 11, CH-1020 RENENS,
SWITZERLAND e-mail: museum@ittf.com website: ittf.com/museum
No part of this journal may be reproduced without prior consent of the publisher