Shopping from 1945 - American Lawn Tennis

 

  

  

Archival Paddle Tennis

As much as I enjoy tennis, I prefer the snappy uniforms worn by these vintage gents playing paddle tennis.  For reference, paddle tennis is an indoor variation of the traditional tennis played with solid rackets and underhand serve on a smaller court.  I liken paddle tennis to the elegant, east coast cousin of  pickleball, a PE course requirement in 1980s Eastern Washington.   Per usual,  I endorse any sport that permits you to wear clothing that still resembles what you might wear to work.  I'm shopping for a pair of deadstock saddle shoes so I can start working on my own, from-the-ground-up, paddle tennis ensemble.   See below for step by step illustrations on how to play the game. 

 

 

 

  

Archival Athletes

From the Musee McCord Museum Archives, here are some terrific photographs of individual and team sports from the turn of the (past) century.  I love reprinting images of historical athletes as evidence of a time when athletic prowess was conflated with a snappy, well tailored presentation for the camera.  Here, in the McCord image set, both male and female athletes wear sporting garb that could easily double as street clothing.  I long for the days when heraldic emblems, plus fours, bowler hats, wool knits and striped tunics were de rigeur elements of the the amateur sporting uniform.

 

 John Lowe, 1931

  

 Frank Barnwell, 1891

Louis Rubenstein, 1893

  

 Rowing Crew, 1871

 

Fencers, 1925

  

 "Bonnie Lassies" group, 1891

Hurdle race on snowshoes, 1892

 

Trafagler Basketball Institute, 1928

 
 YWCA Water Polo Team, 1925

Bank of Montreal Hockey Team, 1895

 

 Kahnawake Lacrosse, 1867

Wesleyan Thelogical Basketball Team, 1916

Physical Education Hockey Group, 1925

Archival Recreation: Tennis

Yes, we're most fond of cycling and hiking here at Archival, but we (almost) all love tennis, too. I waved a racquet around for an hour this morning on the last day of open tennis in New York (as of tomorrow, you need a $200 permit). I had to shop from my hiking wardrobe, but I was mentally wearing a more complete outfit from the past.

Making tennis balls

Shopping from the movies: Shoot the Moon (Parker 1982)

Some films are better watched on fast forward or reproduced as film stills. Shoot the Moon (Parker 1982) is just such a movie -- playing out like an Ingmar Bergman domestic drama populated by Woody Allen characters. While we're asked to focus on the dissolving marriage of Albert Finney and Diane Keaton, one's eye cannot help but wander to the the family's shared taste in classic clothing: wonderful cotton plaids, knits, woolens and jackets sourced (perhaps) from venerable brands like Barbour, Woolrich and Pendleton.

I've reproduced a few stills for reference:

Rugby stripes and heritage garb for kids

Knit cardigans

Plaids (and pencil sharpeners)

Barbour Solway Zipper jackets (and a fetching duffle)

Woolrich jac-shirts

Down vests

Pendleton blanket robes

Cotton knit caps

And a few a household accessories:

Rotary phones

Backyard tennis courts

Family station wagons