80, Balltail Tennis Racket By Bussey. Schotten Tennis Museum Collection. Not For Sale.

80, Balltail Tennis Racket By Bussey. Schotten Tennis Museum Collection. Not For Sale.

Reference

15269

Ball Tail
80) PICTURE (15269)
MAKER. George Bussey
MODEL. The Tournament 3
TYPE. Ball Tail
DATE.
COND. FRAME. Good
COND. STRINGS. Damaged


George Gibson Bussey Ball Tail Tennis Racket.
A fine and rare example of a lawn tennis racket by Bussey 'The Tournament 3'. A nice 'Light' ash framed racket with a concave wave wedge. The wedge is embossed in gilt 'The Tournament 3' with the Bussey logo 'GGB & Co. London' at the top of the handle. The racket has a good straight frame with the original shoulder whipping and the unusual balltail handle.
The stringing has been replaced and the condition of the frame is excellent.

George Gibson Bussey (1829 - 1889) was born in Yorkshire and apprenticed as a saddler. Bussey move to London where he managed to build up a successful business making gun cases and other leather shooting accessories. 1864 saw George Bussey begin to trade as a company and moved to Peckham. The 1870 records show Bussey's firm as "Firearms, Ammunition & Shooting Tackle Manufacturers" at the Museum Works, Rye Lane, Peckham.
Bussey patented more designs in 1876 for roller skates and an air pistol, and they were listed as George Bussey & Co "Leather Goods Manufacturers". The company began to manufacture a large selection of athletic goods and later made a reputation as a manufacturer of lawn tennis rackets and balls, they also made cricket bats, balls and stumps, footballs and other leather goods. In 1887 George Bussey was known as the largest manufacturer of athletic goods in London.

Year

1905

RELATED ITEMS