Beschreibung:

A rare example of the signature of Major Walter Clopton Wingfield the inventor of lawn tennis, a cut-out in ink, pasted to the reverse of an example of Major Wingfield's visiting card, titled Royal Body Guard and addressed 33 St Georges Square; sold together with a facsimile copy of Major Wingfield's 1874 booklet titled Sphairistike or Lawn Tennis (2) Major Walter Clopton Wingfield (1833-1912) was the inventor of lawn tennis in 1874 which he called Sphairistikè after the Greek for "ball games". Wingfield was living at Nantclwyd Hall, Llanelidan, in north Wales, when he patented the new sport. He also was the author of the first book of the game The Major's Game of Lawn Tennis. His honours include the Royal Body Guard and Captain, First Dragoon Guards. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1997.