The Last Witness 1878

The Lone Testament to a London Blitz Tragedy

Manuf.: Period workshop

Model: London

Spec.: Solid wood, oval face

Year: 1878

(documented or estimated)

Background facts:

The racquet, donated by Gerald Gurney, former editor-in-chief of the Tennis Collectors Society, carries a stark historical burden. Scarred and damaged, it is the sole surviving object from a London home destroyed during the Second World War. The house was hit and burned during the London Blitz by bombers of the German Luftwaffe, operating under the command of Hermann Göring. The attack claimed the lives of an entire family of nine.

Amid the ruins, this racquet endured. It survived fire, collapse, and loss, remaining as a silent material witness to the destruction of civilian life. Decades later, it came into the possession of Gerald Gurney, who ultimately entrusted it to the Berlin Tennis Gallery. Today, it stands not as sporting equipment, but as a preserved trace of violence, memory, and survival.