Tennis Club History Wall: A Planning Guide

A club history wall gathers a club's past on a single wall of the lobby: old photographs, documents, medals, trophies, sometimes a racket. Done well, it shows a new member where the club comes from and shows an old member their own years. Done badly, it is a crowd of frames that nobody stops in front of. This guide goes through the decisions involved in planning an archive wall for a club lobby, in order: what there is, what to select, how to arrange it, how it fits the wall, how it is protected and who keeps it up to date.

What a history wall is, and how it differs from a series of wall art

A custom series of wall art is made new for the club; we covered that in custom wall art for a tennis club. A history wall arranges the original material the club already holds: the work is less about making something new than about selecting, ordering and protecting what exists.

It does not have to be one single board either. A set of frames and display cases on the same wall, tied to a shared axis and a shared framing language, is also a history wall, and for most clubs it is the more practical form, because pieces can be added and a single piece can be taken down for care.

Inventory first: what the club holds

Planning starts in the archive, not at the wall. List the material kept in cupboards, in the committee room and in long-standing members' homes under four headings.

Photographs: team photographs, court openings, tournament days. Documents: founding records, old membership cards, tournament programmes, posters, press cuttings. Objects: trophies, medals, plaques, pennants, rackets, balls. Written information: champions by year, team line-ups, changes to the grounds.

Next to each item write three things: the year, who or what appears, and who holds the material. Do not fill in unknown information by guesswork; for a photograph whose year is uncertain, a note saying "date unknown" is better than a wrong year.

Original or copy

Paper fades in light, and that cannot be undone. For documents and old photographs that exist in a single copy, keeping the original in the archive and using a good reproduction on the wall is a common and safe solution. Objects such as trophies, medals and rackets are shown as originals. For paper originals that will be hung, archival-quality framing explains why the glass and the mount matter.

Selection: hanging everything is not a history wall

The whole archive does not go up; the wall is a selection. One question decides it: what story will this wall tell a visitor?

Two approaches work best. A timeline runs from the founding to the present and takes a few pieces from each period; it shows the club's age and continuity. A theme gathers material by subject: the courts and grounds, the teams, the club tournament. A single theme reads more easily on a small wall, a timeline on a long one.

One test is enough for each piece: can a one-sentence caption be written beside it? A photograph of which nobody knows what it shows or when it was taken occupies space without telling anything; it is better left in the archive.

Layout: a timeline at wall scale

We described layouts inside a single case in keeping court memories. The same ideas hold at wall scale, but three further decisions are needed.

The axis

Choose a horizontal axis that ties all the pieces together: the centres or the top edges of the frames run along the same line. On a lobby wall viewed standing, an axis 145–150 cm above the floor gives most visitors a comfortable view.

Period blocks

Build the timeline period by period rather than year by year: the founding years, the period when the grounds grew, today. Each period sits tightly within itself, with a wider gap between periods. A gap of 5–8 cm between pieces within a block and 15–20 cm between blocks is enough for the eye to separate the periods.

Photographs and objects

Framed paper works are flat, while cases project from the wall. When mixing the two, place the cases in the middle or at the end of a block; deep cases scattered at random break the axis. How a racket sits in a case is the subject of how to display a tennis racket.

Size: working out the wall

First measure the clear width of the wall: the unbroken area left after door frames, the fire-hose cabinet, the electrical panel and wayfinding signs are deducted. Keeping the total width of the display within 60–75 per cent of that area gives a balanced result; on a 4-metre wall that comes to 2.4–3 metres.

In height, reading sets the limit. The area comfortably viewed standing runs roughly from waist level to just above head height, about 90–190 cm from the floor. Keep the captions and small photographs that have to be read in the middle of that band, and leave its top and bottom to large pieces that are understood from a distance.

Limiting frame sizes to two or three pulls the wall together. An example: two rows of six 30 × 40 cm frames hung landscape; with 8 cm gaps the width comes to 280 cm and the height to 68 cm, which sits within the target for a 4-metre wall. On the same wall, five 50 × 70 cm pieces hung portrait come to 282 cm. If you use both sizes together, put the large ones at the start of each period.

Labels and text: a history wall is read through its information

What turns a photograph into an archive is the information beside it. Three layers of text are enough: a title for the wall or the period, a caption for each piece and, if needed, a single short introductory paragraph.

A caption should not run beyond two lines: the year, the occasion and who appears in the photograph. The information comes from the club's own records; the spelling of names and the dates are approved by the club committee before anything is hung. Information nobody is sure of is not written.

Decide the type size at the wall, not at the desk: print one caption at its real size, hold it to the wall and read it from a step back. All labels use the same typeface, the same size and the same alignment.

Permissions and personal information

Even on an inside wall of the club, a history wall is a form of publication. Make sure the club holds the right to use each photograph; if the photographer or the institution that took it is known, obtain permission in writing. Recognisable faces and names need the consent of the people concerned, and for junior players the consent of their parents or guardians.

Personal details such as dates of birth, addresses, telephone numbers and membership numbers do not go on the wall; if old membership cards and lists are to be shown, choose them so that these fields are not visible. Sponsors' logos and the emblems of tournaments belonging to other organisations are used with the rights holder's permission. Where you are in doubt, ask the club's legal adviser.

Protection: the light and the traffic of a lobby

Lobbies are often bright, with glazed doors; for works on paper this is the hardest environment. Put documents and photographs shown as originals on a wall out of direct sun. We explained how to reduce reflections in glazed frames in how to avoid glare on wall art.

In a shared space, pieces are touched more than at home. Locking hangers that stop frames from shifting or being lifted off are preferred, and closed cases for trophies and medals. Regular care against dust and humidity is covered in how to clean and care for wall art.

Keeping the wall alive: additions and records

A history wall starts to date on the day it is finished; a new season, a new tournament, a new court will want to be added. Settle three things at the outset.

The first is empty space: leave room for one period block at the end of the run. The second is responsibility: put in writing who will update the wall; the end of the season is a natural date for a yearly review. The third is the record: the source, year, caption text and the whereabouts of the original of each piece are kept in a single file. The record is set out in the same way as in how to start an art collection.

Step by step: preparing before you ask for a quote

1. Choose the wall and measure its clear width, its height and the interruptions on it.

2. Draw up the inventory: photographs, documents, objects, written information; the year of each item and who holds it.

3. Choose the story: a timeline or a single theme?

4. Narrow the selection; decide which pieces will be shown as originals and which as copies.

5. Collect written permissions for photograph rights and personal consent.

6. Write the captions and have the club committee approve them.

7. Lay the chosen pieces out on the floor in their wall order and photograph them; send the photograph with the measurements.

Common mistakes

— Hanging the whole archive. A wall without selection cannot be read.

— Including photographs whose year and subject are unknown.

— Hanging single-copy documents on a wall in the sun.

— Choosing a different frame for each piece; the wall does not read as a whole.

— Leaving no room for new pieces.

— Using faces, names and personal information without permission.

— Not deciding who will keep the wall up to date.

Club history walls at Aurecort

Aurecort's Wall Series consists of wall-mounted cases made to size for rackets and court memorabilia. The work starts with the measurements: a draft is prepared first, then a quote, and production does not begin until the drawing is approved. Each piece is made one at a time in the workshop in Kadıköy, Istanbul. The number of pieces, the sizes and the delivery terms are settled at the quotation stage. It is enough to send us the measurements of the wall, the inventory list and a photograph of the pieces laid out on the floor. Examples of compositions that see the court from above can be found on the Framed Art Series page.

For how the tennis week is unfolding, our latest tennis roundup is online. For signage and for printing outside the tennis theme, see the sister brand Aurecort Reklam.

Frequently asked questions

How many pieces should a club history wall have?

The wall decides. The total width of the display should stay within 60–75 per cent of the clear width of the wall, and there should be room for a caption beside every piece. A few pieces with complete information read better than a crowded wall.

Should the originals of old photographs be hung?

For photographs and documents that exist in a single copy, it is safer to keep the original in the archive and show a reproduction. If the original is to be hung, it needs a wall out of the sun and protective glass.

Can members' names appear on the wall?

Names that rest on the club's records and have the consent of the person concerned can be written; for junior players the consent of a parent or guardian is needed. Where there is doubt, the right course is to leave the name out or to ask the club's legal adviser.

Can the wall be extended later?

Yes, if it is built from separate frames and cases. The same sizes and the same frames are kept, and the empty space left at the end of the run is given to the pieces of the new period.

Aurecort