Pre-War Cards

Tennis cards are not absolutely abundant in the pre-war era but the sport was featured in several sets. Pre-war tennis cards are most abundant on an international level through UK tobacco and cigarette cards.

While the focal point of pre-war sports is generally on men, there are a surprisingly high number of tennis issues featuring some of the game’s early stars. Tennis cards are one of the types of pre-war sets where finding women’s athletes is not difficult.

A good number of pre-war tennis cards exists, featuring early stars such as Fred Perry, Bill Tilden, Helen Wills, Fred Perry, Suzanne Lenglen, and others. While there are numerous types of pre-war tennis issues, international tobacco cards from the 1920s and 1930s is where the most sets are found. And even though tennis cards before the 1900s are not plentiful, even earlier stars, such as Henry Slocum and James Dwight (often called the father of American tennis), are found in 19th Century tobacco releases.

To research specific pre-war tennis sets, use the drop down menu at the top of this page.

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