For sale is a rare early 1920s HARRY C. LEE TENNIS RACQUET made by Harry C. Lee Company, NY, NY. This superb VINCENT RICHARDS “GOOD SHOT” model racquet is in excellent condition with almost all intact strings. The racquet is marked with a March 10, 1908 patent date. The slotted handle was designed to make the racquet lighter & more flexible. Tennis racquets manufactured prior to the 1930’s were designed with a slit in the side of the handle. Since this racquet has a slit in its handle and it’s patent date, this racquet would have been manufactured sometime between 1908 and 1930. The racquet measures 27 inches long and 9 inches at its widest. A first rate tennis collectible.
In 1874, Major Walter C. Wingfield made the very first tennis racket was made in London. In 1947, advances in laminating technology resulted in the first tennis racket made of laminated wood. In 1968, a steel tennis racquet was brought to market with aluminum racquets being introduced in the 1970s.
The Harry C. Lee Company was a sporting goods store with it’s own line of tennis rackets located at 10 Warren St, NYC. The company began producing tennis rackets in 1898 and continued to produce rackets into the 1960’s. The iconic building had a ten foot Tennis Racquet hung above the store entrance. The Harry C Lee brand was associated with several top players in the early 1900’s and then again in the 1950s.
Vincent “Vinnie” Richards was born in 1903 and was a top American tennis player during the 1920s. Richards retained his amateur status for 10 years so that he could compete in the 1924 Olympics held in Paris, France. He won the gold medal for the United States in both singles and doubles, additionally collecting the silver medal in mixed doubles. In 1924, he was ranked World No. 2 as an amateur. In 1927, he joined the professional circuit. In 1928, he was still generally considered to be one of the top 5 or 6 players in the world.
