A rare example of the signature of Major Walter Wingfield the inventor of lawn tennis, in the form of an autographed manuscript letter in ink dated Ma

A rare example of the signature of Major Walter Wingfield the inventor of lawn tennis, in the form of an autographed manuscript letter in ink dated May 23rd 1905, framed & glazed, the lot also including tipped to the backboard an envelope postmarked January 14th 1899 addressed to Herbert V Oppenheimer, Queens Bench, Horn & Francis, 2 Berkeley Street from Major Walter Wingfield, The Royal Body Guard, 100 Buckingham Palace Road; and an example of Major Wingfield's visiting card, titled Royal Body Guard and addressed 33 St Georges Square (3) Major Walter Clopton Wingfield (1833-1912) was the inventor of lawn tennis in 1874 which he called Sphairistik? after the Greek for ''ball games''. Wingfield was living at Nantclwyd Hall, Llanelidan, in north Wales, when he patented the new sport. He also was the author of the first book of the game The Major's Game of Lawn Tennis. His honours include the Royal Body Guard and Captain, First Dragoon Guards. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1997.