The Racquet of the Game of Rackets

A Glimpse into Victorian Leisure – Origins of Squash

Manuf.: Racquet maker of Rackets

Model: Antique Racquet of Rackets

Spec.: Solid wood, historically restored

Year: 1803

(documented or estimated)

Background facts:

The game of rackets originated in the late eighteenth century, first played against the walls of London’s debtor prisons and later in purpose-built courts at taverns and schools. By the early 1800s, rackets had become a popular sport among both prisoners and the upper classes. Around 1830, at Harrow School, students began playing a variation of rackets using a softer, punctured ball, which “squashed” on impact with the wall. This new game, known as squash, quickly gained popularity and spread to other schools and clubs.

Racquets from the game of Rackets feature a long wooden handle and a small, oval-shaped head strung with natural gut. The frame is made entirely of wood, and the stringing pattern is dense and robust, designed for the fast pace and hard ball of the game. This design was developed for play in the large, high-walled courts typical of rackets in early nineteenth-century England.

The classic rackets racquet design, with its long handle and small head, became the model for early squash racquets and remained the standard for over a century.

The Game of Rackets