213 - Tennis / Paume / Badminton / Racket

Tennis / Paume / Badminton / Racket GARSAULT (François-Alexandre-Pierre de). The Art of the Racket Maker and of Paume. Paris, 1767. Folio, 34 pp., 3 vignettes, and 5 engraved plates. Later half-leather binding, sheepskin spine heavily rubbed with losses, gilt title. Text slightly discolored (on some pages), minor signs of moisture, a few loose leaves An 18th-century work exploring the early history of tennis and badminton. From the Preface, featuring the “eteufs,” to “The Art of the Paume” and “On the Volant”: the “chasses,” the “dévers,” the “carreaux,” the “raies noires,” the “grille,” and the “grattoirs,” and, of course, the “ficelet” and the “bilboquet.” Garsault describes the “tripot” (tennis court), with its lean-to roofs and gallery, and details the manufacture of rackets and balls—the craftsmanship of the “paumiers-raquetiers” (tennis and racket makers), who had been organized into a guild since 1610. Originating in France in the 12th century, jeu de paume—from which the cry “tenez!” (hold!) is said to have evolved into “tennis”—is the common ancestor of tennis, badminton, and squash. Garsault (1693–1778), a universalist and popularizer, has written a treatise here in the tradition of Rabelais’s “Gai Savoir.” Rare. Complete copy.