Horsman Maker 1884

Manuf.:    Horsman

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Model:      Horsman Maker

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Spec.:        Solid wood, flat top design 

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Year:         1884

(documented or estimated)

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Background facts:

The Horsman Maker model belongs to a phase in which American makers established their own presence in lawn tennis equipment. The firm was founded by Edward Imeson Horsman around 1865 and began with toys before moving into sporting goods. Early output from this workshop often carried no individual model names. Racquets were sold under the plain imprint Horsman Maker, which reflects the branding practice of the period and the attempt to position the company within a growing national market.
 

The exhibit features a light convex wedge and a handle without a butt strap. These elements mirror production habits in the early eighteen eighties when American firms started to form their own approach apart from British imports. The flat top with a slight box tendency follows the characteristic shaping of the decade and signals a stable step in the technical development of US frame making.