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| Natal Lawn Tennis Championship Antique Silver Trophy - Mabel Grant, Edmund Nevill
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Reference: S1948
Period: Victorian
Year: 1888
Silversmith: Hilliard & Thomason
Place: Birmingham
Price: $ 160.00
Weight: 347 grams
Dimensions: 25.5 cm height, diameter 11.5 cm
Condition: Excellent, small dent to base repaired. Slight lean to trophy.
Description: A historical antique silver tennis trophy, presented to South Africa's first woman champion, Mabel Grant, in 1889. The trophy is the traditional shape, with a beaded knob on the shaft for ease of holding, and matching beaded foot rim. The trophy is decorated with leaf and fern engraving, and is engraved "Natal Lawn Tennis Championship Meeting, August 1889" on one side, the other side is engraved "Ladies Challenge Cup, Winner, 1889 Miss M Grant, 1890 Miss D Hickman, 1891 Miss M Grant, 1892 Miss M Grant, 1893 Miss M Grant". The trophy is a good weight, the rim has a strengthened lip, so a good quality trophy. The hallmarks are clear. Tennis first came to South Africa in 1877 (the year Wimbledon started) in Richmond, Natal (now Kwazulu Natal), the Berea Tennis Club was the first club in Durban, established 1882. Tennis became a major feature of Colonial life in Durban and Pietermaritzburg (source www.kzntennis.co.za), Mabel Grant of the Berea club became South Africa's first woman champion, she held the position between 1891 and 1894. Mabel married Edmund Neville Nevill, who is erroneously credited with bringing tennis to South Africa, he only arrived in South Africa in 1882 as Government Astronomer at the newly established Natal Observatory. Nevill was a member of the Royal Society, he published a book on the moon under the name Neison, and was founder of the Selenographical Society. He remained Government Astronomer until the observatory was closed in 1911, he was also Government Chemist and Official Assayer for Natal. He was a keen lawn tennis player, he married Mabel Grant in 1894, Mabel was also employed by him at the Observatory. (source Wikipedia).
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Natal Lawn tennis championship antique silver trophy
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