Our last clue was the table, and it is true to say that in the 1920s and 30s many a dining table was pressed into service for an impromptu game of Ping Pong. Ogden`s "A.B.C. of Sport" shows just the chaos that would ensue on card "P" - "The Pinger (or Ponger). You can see that at the New York Public Library /Ogden/ABC-P
Now the ITTF would probably not approve, but table tennis has been colloquially known as "Ping Pong" since 1901. We will find out more about that tomorrow, but it is supposed to arise from the sounds of the ball hitting the flat surface of the racket and making a "ping" as opposed to the hard sound of the ball striking the table - or the floor - which was, amusingly, a "pong". Other names, similar, also existed - including Click-Clap, Pim-Pam, Pom-Pom, and Whiff-Waff.
Ping Pong was the favourite, and it is also said that it was made up by a certain James Gibb, who introduced the celluloid ball to the game, having encountered them in America.
Englishman James Gibb is credited with bringing hollow celluloid balls back to England from the United States in 1900, although some other sources claim they were plastic balls. Before that they were harder, of rubber or cork.
This set, and its younger sibling, were first catalogued in our Wills reference book part IV, as
OLD FURNITURE. Large cards, size 79 x 62 m/m. Fronts printed by letterpress in colour. Backs in grey. With descriptive text. Home issues.
278. “1st Series of 25”. Issued 1923
279. “2nd Series of 25”. Issued 1924
This actually had rather a short run, because Series 1 was issued in October, and Series 2 arrived in February, just four months later.
Our original World Tobacco Issues Index describes the pair as :
OLD FURNITURE. Lg. Nd. … W62-161
1. “1st Series of 25”.
2. “2nd Series of 25”.
It is further shortened in our updated version, which combines the two series on to a single line. The code is changed though, to W675-202