Tennis Antiques P/U...interesting statue of Bill Tilden

[CarltonHendricks]

www.SportsAntiques.com
Last January Net54 member Ben Levinsohn/IronHorse2130 bought a tennis collection and offered them here on the memorabilia section. I picked up this c1930's statue of Bill Tilden plus a very rare Victorian tennis board game. The Tilden was done by McClelland Barclay who was a big name illustrator...who was killed by a torpedo while working as a combat artist for the Navy. Tilden had a very troubled personal life but is considered by some to be the greatest tennis player ever. He won the U.S. Open five years in a row plus many other international tournaments..although never won the French Open. He dominated tennis the first half of the 1920's as an amateur then became pro in 1931. As far as I recall it's the only statue of Tilden I've ever seen.. It's not titled but the face and girth are unmistakable...He was 6' 2"

Was glad to get the board game too as I collect the Victorian sports games and had never seen a tennis one. Thanks Ben!. I did a big feature of them on my home page if you want to see more info, link above.

[D. Bergin]

Great looking statue. Definitely Tilden. Could tell that straight off.

[perezfan]

Almost looks like a Jack Lambert creation. The base (and statue itself) are very similar to the Jack Lambert Batter Statue from the 1930s. Is this a Galvano piece, by chance?

Either way, a terrific figural piece, and a wonderful pickup!

[Jewish-collector]

Great pickup Carlton !!!

Will we see you in Baltimore ?

[CarltonHendricks]

Thanks guys...

Alan, Good question...I hope so...

Mark, I can tell you like the 1930's style....It's a white metal cast...and the casting is a bit weak....the foundry work that is...This piece is all about the modeling...I.E. the flair of the art work... McClelland Barclay's sculpting ability...If this same work were cast in bronze by a good foundry,
$Phew!$...But I'm glad to have it. I think it was intended as an inexpensive decorative little room statue as opposed high brow fine art...you figure the difference LOL. One of the things about bronze is how it holds up over time...and it's reaction to air and dust...white metal, silver plate, etc. don't show their age well and deteriorate...bronze looks better with age and doesn't deteriorate....well it does but not enough to notice or mention...and a foundry can obtain better definition...a finer crispness to the details generally.

As you know, that Jack Lincoln Lambert's batter statue you reference was produced by Dieges and Clust...in galvano....and I think D&C also offered them in bronze...whether galvano, silver plate, bronze or what ever...Dieges and Clust had high standards and put out good looking well done stuff...I can't ever recall seeing a weak D&C piece.

[mjkm90]

Veeery attractive piece Carlton. You never cease to amaze my friend