The Annals of Tennis

London: The Field" Office, 1878 . First edition. Cloth. Good. 10.5" by 8". Not Stated. A bright example of the first edition of this richly illustrated history of tennis, from tennis player Julian Marshall. The first edition of this work from journalist and tennis player Julian Marshall, who served as tennis correspondent to 'The Field', with some chapters in this work initially appearing in the magazine in 1876 and 1877.Marshall describes the work as 'the first attempt at a General History and Description of Tennis', providing both a history of the sport, and a guide to playing it.Illustrated with a frontispiece and forty-five illustration son twenty-seven leaves. Collated, complete.In the publisher's original cloth.With a former owner's inscription to a front blank.A delightful first edition about the history of the racket sport. In the publisher's original cloth binding. Externally, lovely, with boards exceptionally bright, and bumping to back strip head and tail. Tail of rear joint starting, with horizontal split to cloth of back strip. Hinges reinforced. Inscription to a front blank. Internally, binding lightly strained throughout, including between the title page and frontispiece. Text block weakly held between pages 48 and 49, and between 128 and 129. Pages bright. Good