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Parlour tennis bats were flat paddles with a thin wooden core and a taut vellum surface stretched over the face. Handles were short, straight, and smoothly finished to fit comfortably in one hand. The striking surface was round or slightly oval, providing a clear and even contact with the ball. The vellum covering gave a dry and distinct sound when hit and was valued for its firm rebound. Pair of Palour Tennis Bats, 1875 Parlour tennis, also called table tennis or whiff-whaff

Antonio Scaino, an Italian priest and theologian from Salò, completed Trattato del giuoco della palla  in 1555. The work was printed in Venice by Gabriel Giolito de’ Ferrari and his brothers, one of the leading publishing houses of the Renaissance. It is recognized as the earliest known treatise devoted entirely to the study of ball games in Europe. Scaino described the social context of play at the courts of Ferrara and Mantua and divided existing games into three main types

Wilson Sporting Goods has origins as unexpected as they are unique. Before it became a powerhouse in the world of tennis, baseball, and golf, Wilson was part of the Sulzberger & Sons Company , a Chicago-based meat producer. In 1914 , the company established the Ashland Manufacturing Company , repurposing animal by-products for a surprising new purpose: sporting goods. In 1915, it was renamed Wilson & Co. , but the sporting goods division became Thomas E. Wilson & Co. in 1916