Williams Favourite 1908

Red-Tipped Treble Beauty

Manuf.: Williams & Co.

Model: Favourite

Spec.: Solid wood, convex, heavy red treblings

Year: 1908

(documented or estimated)

Background facts:

The decorative stringwork is remarkably intact, showcasing the fine craftsmanship and attention to detail that marked early 20th-century racquet design. Its depth and precision suggest both material quality and a high level of production expertise.

Company Background:
In 1830, British engineer Edwin Beard Budding (1795–1846) invented the lawn mower in Eastington, Stroud. Decades later, Williams recognised the machine’s potential for the emerging sport of lawn tennis. By the late 1860s, he had modified Budding’s invention to better suit the preparation of grass courts. His success led to the founding of Williams & Co. in Paris, located at 1 Rue Caumartin near Boulevard de la Madeleine, in the early 1870s.

When France’s first tennis club opened in Dinard in 1878, Williams & Co. was commissioned to prepare the lawns. Always ahead of the curve, Williams soon began selling hybrid hunting bats that could serve both on the field and the tennis court, a clever response to the sporting trends of the time.