A Rare Auction of Tennis Posters
A trove of some 70 tennis posters will be auctioned off by Swann Auction Galleries in New York City on August 6, 2014. The seller is an Australian collector, who spent 30 years amassing this exceptional collection, which includes works by such notable graphic artists as Ludwig Hohlwein, Edward Penfield, Tom Purvis, and Roger Broders. Several date to the late 19th century.
"People who are looking for a tennis poster often have to look far and wide because they are few and far between," notes Nicholas d. Lowry, President of Swann Galleries and Director of Swann's Vintage Poster Department. "This is is the biggest collection of tennis posters that has ever come on the market at one time."
Courtesy Swann Auction Galleries
Broadly speaking, tennis posters fall into four categories: travel, events, tennis gear, and general merchandise marketed using tennis as a theme. (The catalog is available online.) Among the standouts in travel is a 1935 poster for Le Royal Hotel (Lot 154). It shows a man and a woman playing tennis on a red-clay court adjacent to the palatial hotel. Graphically arresting, it is nonetheless most distinctive for its size: it measures more than 5 feet wide and 4 feet tall. It’s expected to fetch $1,500 to $2,000.Unsurprisingly, there are numerous posters for tennis events around the world. Particularly stunning is a 1930 affiche for Monte Carlo by Roger Broders (Lot 196). "He’s famous for his languid, F. Scott Fitzgerald-like figures and beautiful Art 
Deco graphics," Lowry told me. "He’s as close to a household name as you can come." It is estimated to command $15,000 to $20,000. Also in this vein is an 1896 poster for a lawn tennis event in Chicago (Lot 158). According to Lowry, this is perhaps the earliest American tennis poster ever, an exceptional depiction of fashion, architecture, perspective, and sport by a very famous American artist Edward Penfield. Other examples of this poster have sold for $9,000, but this one’s flawed condition (overpainting in the margins and repaired tears) is priced at just $700-$1,000.Fans of old racquets and balls will be drawn to posters for Slazenger and Dunlop. There are several from unknown designers priced at $400-$600. However, one Dunlop poster (Lot 209) by Franz Jacob Heinlein from 1926 shows a smiling fresh-faced boy, his cap askew and laden with tennis balls and a racquet, and it could command $2,000 or more.The final group of posters uses tennis as a theme to promote other products. A case in point is the arresting poster for Kaffee Hag (Lot 164) by German artist Ludwig Hohlwein. He is one of the most famous of all 20th-century poster designers. According to the catalog, its simplicity belies its sophistication. "The artistry seems simple, as the figure is depicted with only the barest of forms and strokes and without any outlining, yet it is one of Hohlwein's most impressive, tour-de-forces of graphism.""This is one of the most valuable pieces that we’re offering," Lowry told me. "This is a situation where any tennis person who likes it is going to be competing against collectors of graphic design" and may have to shell out $20,000 or more to add it to a collection.
Ultimately, the price a poster can command depends on a number of factors: the artist, the condition (which is clearly indicated on the auction site), the graphic appeal, and one’s own sense of taste. Lowry stresses, however, that tennis posters are rare in general. When you find something you like, Lowry advises looking for one in the best condition possible, but recognize that because they are rare you may have to settle for a few flaws in order to have the poster at all.This collection goes on display at the Swann Auction Galleries on July 31. Lowry encourages those who can go visit in person, for two reasons: First, he says, you will never see so many tennis posters in one place at one time, and second because it is some much more impressive to view them close up, and full size, especially the larger posters.
You do not, however, have to attend the auction to bid. There are several options including bidding by phone, via the Internet (the auction is live-streamed), or in advance (auctioneers will bid for you up to the maximum you specify).
Club Med's Generation Cup Tournament Series
Hall of Famer and Grand Slam Doubles winner Rosie Casals and her company Sportswoman Inc. have teamed up with Tennis Media Group to bring you a new tournament circuit for senior tennis players: Club 
Med Generation Cup Series. The events bring together men and women 50-70 years of age to compete in a round-robin format with both men's and women's doubles and mixed.
At these five- and six-day tournaments participants vie for trophies, prizes, and free vacations. The series launches Nov. 15, 2014 at Club Med-Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, then moves to a different venue each month, culminating in the Championship round at Club Med-Sandpiper Bay in Florida in April 2015. For more information, visit www.generationcup.com, which also has information about booking a Club Med holiday encompassing each tournament.
|
Exclusive Packages and Specials
Discounts, room upgrades, and special packages only available on Tennis Resorts Online.
Julian Krinsky School of Tennis, Pennsylvania (Juniors)
JKCP Special: Save on Jr. Packages
Tennis Resorts Online has secured a discount of $250* off residential and $100 off day* bookings on any tennis camp you book at the Julian Krinsky School of Tennis. To get it, email imagine@jkcp.com or apply online at http://www.jkcp.com and use one of these codes: for Residential camps, TRORES2014, and for day camps, TRODAY2014.
Not sure what you want? Send an online brochure request.
*Note: May not be combined with other discounts.
Port Royal Racquet Club, South Carolina
Special $30/Person Off Group Packages
Book our team Ambassador Package for groups and receive $30.00 off per person for stays between August - December of this year. Our three-night Ambassador Package includes Two-Bedroom Deluxe villas (based on four people sharing a two-bedroom), six hours of clinics, unlimited court time, one lunch at our clubhouse, souvenirs and pro shop discounts. Our normal Ambassador discounted price is $405.00 per person, but if you mention Tennis Resorts Online when you book you will receive the extra specail rate of $375.00 per person! To make your reservation for your team tennis trip, please call Tanda at 843-686-8803 and say you want the Tennis Resorts Online special rate. We will look forward to having you vacation with us!
Saddlebrook Tennis (Hopman), Florida
Exclusive Weekend and weeklong special BOGO
From now through Aug. 31, Saddlebrook Resort has weeklong (Monday-Friday) & weekend (Friday-Sunday) special "Buy One, Get One" packages exclusively for Tennis Resorts Online readers.
- "Doubles BOGO Spectacular": Book a weekend clinic for yourself along with double-occupancy lodging for two, and your roommate gets the same clinic for free (of equal value or less). The clinic package includes 10 hours of instruction (in our regularly scheduled sessions), match play, and welcome fruit basket.
- "Fun in the Sun BOGO": Book a weeklong clinic for yourself along with double-occupancy lodging for two and your roommate gets the same clinic for free (of equal value or less). This package includes 25 hours of instruction per participant (in our regular scheduled sessions), match play, and lodging.
Resort at Longboat Key Club, Florida
All here. All yours. All pro.
Escape to the Four-Diamond Resort at Longboat Key Club and enjoy complimentary play on our USTA award-winning, 20-court Tennis Gardens. Experience golf, spa, dining, and Sarasota’s culture and nightlife. Click here now for our "Tennis Tune Up Package" Package.
John Newcombe Tennis Ranch, Texas
TRO Exclusive: Save $100!
Tennis Resorts Online users can claim a special $100/person discount on any adult all-inclusive week-long camp program. To get it, telephone reservations toll-free at 800-444-6204 or email the Ranch. You must mention Tennis Resorts Online to get the discount. Request a brochure.
On the Road
Dispatches from my latest travels
Revisiting the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch in Texas
Resort Hopping In Southwest Florida
Emilio Sánchez on "the Spanish Method"
Tennis on the "Garden Isle" of Kauai
Sea Island, Georgia, and the Jensen Brothers
Cliff Drysdale Tennis at Hawk's Cay Resort, Florida
A Northern California Tennis Odyssey
Big Island's Kohala Coast: Where Hawaiian Royalty Vacationed
Soaring Above Phoenix, Arizona
Update on Florida's Alluring Panhandle
indicates a tournament
Here's a sample of recent critiques of the top resorts and camps by other vacationers, followed by a link where you can post your own.
