Our exciting new exhibition, On Court: Bath and Tennis Indoor to Outdoor, will open at the Museum of Bath at Work on 12 June until 16th November. Through interpretation boards and loan items it reveals the rich history of tennis in Bath from the indoor real tennis courts of Georgian times, including the building housing the Museum itself, through early lawn tennis clubs to a game still thriving in the city today. Did you know that Bath had two of the earliest clubs in the country, Bath Lawn Tennis Club and Lansdown Lawn Tennis Club which are still in existence today, and that the city hosted the prestigious West of England open tournament in the 1880s?  The magnificent silver trophy, or Bath Cup, presented to the men’s singles champion will be on display. The exhibition shows the increasing popularity of tennis in the twentieth century as clubs associated with churches and workplaces, and the provision of public courts, made it accessible for all. The game of tennis is placed in the context of a broader social history. One focus is on clothing – there are costumes on display which show changes from the 1880s onwards. Another theme is  the local manufacture of tennis rackets, corsets, gut for tennis racket strings and of course tennis balls, still proudly made in Box by Price of Bath. Many examples of which will be on display.
Listen to Bath Newseums Richard Wyatt video interviewing director Stuart Burroughs explaining the exhibition
The Bath Magazine recently wrote about the exhibition including an interview with curator Ann Sumner and history of tennis in Bath.
Bath Chronicle letters section 3rd July
