Local Relic Highlights Long-Ago Wakefield Company

Here’s an interesting relic from Wakefield’s past recently spotted on eBay. It’s a souvenir envelope from Wright & Ditson, Manufacturers of Fine Lawn Tennis.

“Send for quotations on our table tennis outfits,” reads the back, inviting speculation about whether the guy with the racket, long sleeves and ascot on the envelope happens to be wearing said table tennis outfit. By the standards of that era, he could have been just as easily dressed for a swim.

Anyhow, back on January 15, 1902, somebody mailed this envelope from Wakefield to Markt & Company in Hamburg, Germany – almost at the exact midpoint in history between the Spanish American War and World War I, for what it’s worth. And somebody back then basically paid a nickel in postage to send a letter to Germany.  

Here’s something else – Wright & Ditson exists to this day – Its website reports that it was founded in 1871 by Baseball Hall of Famer George Wright and Boston businessman Henry Ditson, and that it started off selling baseball, golf and tennis equipment. The website does not mention Wakefield, nor does it mention where the company’s products happen to be made today. The website includes a mailing address in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. 

For the record, Wright was reportedly a local baseball standout who played shortstop and led the former Boston Red Stockings to multiple championships in the 1870s.