About the Driftway Tennis Collection

In the public eye since 1987, this array of lawn tennis memorabilia is one of the world's finest privately held collections. It has appeared on display internationally, and in print media, throughout the tennis community. Wherever it goes, the collection is always greeted with rave reviews.

The Driftway Collection

The Driftway Collection at Home

Portions of the 1500 museum quality pieces have been seen on CBS, HBO, several cable network shows and the BBC. They have traveled to Grand Slam venues, as well as the ATP Senior Tour. The collection has appeared in numerous magazines: TENNIS, WORLD TENNIS, RACQUET and the US OPEN TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS MAGAZINE.

On it's journeys, the collection has focused on the years from 1873, when the first boxed sets of lawn tennis equipment appeared, to 1938, on that fabulous day 65 years later when the first player won the Grand Slam. The collection represents a complete history of tennis at the turn of the 20th century and the evolution of tennis from a backyard recreation into a huge international popular sport.

The Collection on Tour - Racquet Evolution from 1880 to 1940

The Driftway Collection at Exhibition

The collection is available for use as a gallery display at an event. If there is a need for images, expertise, or the integration of vintage lawn tennis into a project, please to let us know how we can help.

A limited-edition fine art poster series, commemorating the collection's exhibitions, are for sale in our souvenir shop. These prints are critically acclaimed, winning gold and silver medals at international design competitions.

Jim McCready,
Founder & Curator

Jim McCready is the curator of the Driftway Collection which began in the mid 1970's. He is a career tennis professional in the Northeast United States and confides "a few racquets on the pro shop wall have gotten a little out of hand".

He enjoys the art of collecting the memorabilia that fuels his research into the history of tennis, and has authored many articles on the early days of the sport.