Lawn Tennis, England, 1880s

A woman sips a cup of tea while watching three men and a woman play a game of doubles. This photograph is an early example of the newly developed game of lawn tennis. 
 
Some say tennis dates back to the Ancient Egyptians. However, there is more evidence that the game originated in France in the 11th or 12th century. In the medieval period, French monks and nobility played' court tennis.' Modernized lawn tennis was developed in England in the late 1800s. Most notably, Welsh Major Walter Clopton Wingfield modified the medieval indoor game to an outdoor lawn court and added a rubber ball. He produced a kit that included two posts, a net, rackets, and balls. And in a very short time, lawn tennis overtook croquet as Britain's most popular summer sport. 
 
Format: Albumen Print
Size: 7 x 5 inch card
Condition: Fair