Vintageantique 238 inch premium white ivory cue ball. Other games, such as bumper pool, have custom ball sets. Antique ivory three ball set with box antique billiard tables. Before plastic, ivory made from elephant tusks was basically plastic.
Balls made of wood or ivory were pushed rather than struck by a wooden mace, similar to a golf club. You no longer have to play 8 ball with just solids and stripes. History of billiards chronologytimeline the hypertexts. If the piece feels lightweight, you can eliminate the possibility that its ivory, though it could be bone. It may be of interest that billiard balls were made of ivory well into the 1800s until they became too expensive and elephant numbers started to dwindle, its incredible to think in this day and age but when billiards was at its most popular, around 1,000 elephants were killed in a year, only 3 4 balls being made out of a single tusk. Total ratings 6, billiard balls aramith premium pool ball set 2 14 valley dynamo cougar aramith billiards roll duramith magnetic cue ball. These pool balls feature the schools home and away colors to play the game of 8 ball with an exciting new twist. From the initial wooden balls that were first used in the early days of the game, through to the high tech phenolic resin creations that used today, the history of billiard balls is a little darker and interesting than you might first imagine. Ivory and some types of bone are heavy and dense in weight, comparable to a similarly sized billiard ball.
The above balls are genuine real ivory circa around 1900. The first plastic billiard balls routinely exploded mental. Ivory is a white, smooth, solid substance that comes mainly from the tusks of elephants. Undersized billiard balls will dive under the cushion distorting the rebound angle. The cost of ivory billiard balls was a problem for phelan, who was trying to grow his company. Pre 1947 ivory billiard balls for sale one set only very rare. This is a superb item for the avid billiard pool collector with an eye for adding a centerpiece to their collection.
What elephants teach us about consumption and extinction. Great for a wall display in an antique ball rack or as billiard room decorations. A pile of more than 20,000 billiard balls, representing the lives of thousands of elephants. If a piece feels solid and heavy, that doesnt necessarily mean its ivory. George moore is the world threecushion billiards champion. This led inventor john wesley hyatt to invent celluloid, a precursor to plastic. Phelan described the ideal specimen in his 1858 book, the game of billiards. Once upon a time, exploding billiard balls were an.
The first plastic billiard balls routinely exploded. Unlike the ivory on piano keys, which were just a veneer of over wood, billiard balls had to be made of 100% solid ivory. The best billiard balls once came exclusively from the tusks of asian elephants. As pool continued to grow in popularity through the first half of the 1800s, the demand for tusks began to seriously threaten elephant populations in africa and asia. Cue sports sometimes written cuesports, also known as billiard sports, are a wide variety of games of skill generally played with a cue stick, which is used to strike billiard balls and thereby cause them to move around a clothcovered billiards table bounded by elastic bumpers known as cushions historically, the umbrella term was billiards. Pdf ivory in world history early modern trade in context.
Among our sprawling collection are antique ivory ball sets in wooden cases and a slideout rack that accompanies them. The massive consumption of ivory in the 1800s was unprecedented. Ivory balls remained in use in artistic billiards competition until the late 20th century. This one of a kind two piece cue features a four point ebony butt, ivory and ebony handle made from ten turned down billiard balls, two piece ivory joint, ivory ferrule and original case. The white gold of history and the fate of elephants. No natural material other than elephant ivory had the physical size, strength, and beauty to perform in the billiard room and the concert hall.
Although affordable oxbone balls were in common use in europe, elephant ivory was favored since at least 1627 until the early 20th century 17 the earliest known written reference to ivory billiard balls is in the 1588 inventory of the duke of norfolk. Billiard balls have been made from many different materials since the start of the game, including clay, bakelite, celluloid, crystallite, ivory. Ivory would be an extremely controversial material if it were used on pool balls today. These ncaa pool balls by imperial international are officially licensed and each ball has your favorite college team logo. Jan 04, 2017 before plastic, ivory made from elephant tusks was basically plastic. Established in 1992 and serving billiard enthusiasts online since 1997, we have a history of restoring antique billiard tables and accessories using the highestgrade materials for the purpose.
Imitation ivory and the power of play lemelson center. Pre 1947 ivory billiard balls for sale one set only very. How can i tell if my antique pool balls are ivory and. Vintageantique 238 inch premium white ivory cue ball j m. Early balls were made of various materials, including wood and clay the latter remaining in use well into the 20th century. A pile of more than 20,000 billiard balls, representing the. Snooker was invented in 1884 by british army officers stationed in india. Since the games inception in the 15th century, billiard balls have been made from many different materials, such as clay, bakelite, celluloid, crystallite, ivory, plastic, steel and the earliest form, wood. English billiard balls are the same size as snooker balls and come in sets of three balls two cue balls and a red, an object ball. This is a superb item for the avid billiardpool collector with an eye for adding a. How oncepopular pool halls ushered in the age of plastic.
If it does not have this it only means that the ball is made from phenolic resin. Irovy from elephant tusks became popular among the upper classes of the 17th century as a way to display ones wealth conspicuously, whether. Some sets of pool balls are sold in original boxes as shown. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search.
Billiard saloons could be found in the many new cities burgeoning across the land. What elephants teach us about consumption and extinction at. Unfollow ivory pool balls to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. Billiard balls were originally made of stone but were eventually replaced with balls made of wood and clay due to the weight of the stone itself. In view of all the problems associated with ivory billiard balls, it was the usual practice. But mass markets in the western world for ivory billiard balls, combs, piano keys, and commercial trinklets, placed the wild elephant in serious jeopardy in the late 19th. However, billiards was a sport that created a huge demand for ivory, the only known substance at the time for manufacturing billiard balls. Ivory billiard balls were expensive and time consuming to make.
Once upon a time, exploding billiard balls were an everyday thing. The celluloid used in movie film had its origins in the search for a substitute for ivory billiard balls. Set of antique ivory brunswick billiard balls j m brunswick. Mar 26, 2018 ivory pool balls were prone to yellowing with age and tended to crack in humid climates or if struck with excessive force. The sale of ivory has to be carefully monitored and defra sets the rules on the sale of old ivory in the domestic market in the uk. Like rambow and britner he also turned ivory billiard balls earlier in his career. Good billiard balls were manufactured exclusively from asian elephants, top grade ivory being the. In 1968 herman rambow was the first cuemaker ever inducted into the billiard congress of americas hall of fame. May 29, 2011 a brief history of plastics conquest of the world. Dec 12, 2019 the massive consumption of ivory in the 1800s was unprecedented. Complete billiard ball sets for sale in stock ebay.
Smooth, durable, and easily carved, ivory has been used throughout history to make ornaments like jewelry and statues, but also everyday objects like buttons, dominoes, pistol grips, piano keys, combs and billiard balls. The average number of billiard balls that could be obtained from a single tusk was three. Cue ball included 10 clay miniature billiard balls 3. Technical advances made in the 1800s further progresse d billiards into a game of precision, including the invention of the leather cue tip, using chalk to increase friction between the cue tip and the ball, and the introduction of slate for table beds and vulcanized rubber for cushions. Wonderful forty piece grouping of ebony and bone dominoes, housed in a wooden case. Pool was especially popular in the united states during the late 1800s, with the first slate tables appearing in 1827 and tables with vulcanized rubber cushions introduced in 1865.
Brunswick complete billiard ball sets for sale in stock. The earliest plastic billiard balls had a habit of exploding. Ivory billiards lounge easy to find in down town holyoke 151 chestnut street holyoke, ma 01040 45361586 plenty of free parking since 1947 serving all your pool and billiards needs and boasts the largest collection of high quality, well maintained tables in western massachusetts. Pro series kandy pearlized pool balls billiard set. Brunswick complete billiard ball sets for sale in stock ebay. Factories also produced toiletries, toothpicks, billiard balls, letter openers, and many other household items made from ivory. However, during the 17th century, it was not an issue at all.
May, 2015 unlike the ivory on piano keys, which were just a veneer to cover wood, billiard balls had to be made of 100 percent solid ivory. The following is an excerpt from susan freinkels book, plastic. Feb 01, 2011 it may be of interest that billiard balls were made of ivory well into the 1800s until they became too expensive and elephant numbers started to dwindle, its incredible to think in this day and age but when billiards was at its most popular, around 1,000 elephants were killed in a year, only 3 4 balls being made out of a single tusk. A billiard ball is a small, hard ball used in cue sports, such as carom billiards, pool, and snooker. Unlike the ivory on piano keys, which were just a veneer to cover wood, billiard balls had to be made of 100 percent solid ivory.
The same clay used in the pottery of antiquity has its uses in todays computer chips. These records also include time books that list the names of all employees. Billiards history wisconsin billiards hall of fame. The earliest pool balls were made of wood, which was fairly inexpensive to produce. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading ivorys ghosts. As the game evolved, it moved indoors and onto a table covered in a green cloth to simulate grass, with a simple border around the edges.
Ivory billiard balls national museum of american history. From 1627 to the mid20th century, the most dominant of billiard ball material was ivory. The history and development of the modern composition billiards and. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Bennie allen, straight pool, sets a new record with a run of 98 balls. Once upon a time, exploding billiard balls were an everyday. These balls were used until the 1600s when ivory billiard balls became popular. Using a wide range of historical and firsthand reportage, john frederick walker tells the astonishing and sometimes savage story of ivorys enormous impact on both human history and that of its most important source. History of pool, billiard ball progression, john wesley hyatt, pocket billiards. But if you got your hands on some of the earliest plastic billiard balls, that was a chance you took. The history of pool balls and what theyre made of liveabout.
Vintage lot of 26 miniature clay billiard balls 2 cue balls winning bidder will receive the following. According to the blue book of pool cues second addition there are only eight known examples with ivory handles. How can i tell if my antique pool balls are ivory and worth. This is among the best ivory sets that ive ever put up for auction. Pool table accessories pool balls ncaa pool balls sets. Sep 05, 2000 the lover of history, the complete book of billiards is an authoritative guide to cue games. According to john roberts senior in his book roberts on billiards, published in. For sale three old ivory billiard balls pre 1947, now sold. The white gold of history and the fate of elephants kindle edition by walker, john frederick.
Bbc manufactured their highest quality zanzibar ivory billiard balls oversized. For many years it was used to make piano keys sometimes called the ivories, combs, knife and umbrella handles, billiard balls, and similar objects. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Cue ball included billiard balls are old and in used condition. Materials and human history from the stone age to the age of silicon. This book tells the story of ivory perry, a black worker and. Billiards became so popular, in fact, that a concern arose about the potential scarcity of ivory. Advertisement billiards photo by leo hidalgo cc by 2. Billiard balls that has the lines and swirls of ivory grain seen through the color is a kind of striation that might indicate that the balls in question are ivory.
Antique ivory three ball set with box antique pool tables. Total ratings 3, aramith billiards continental pool table ball set. The purpose of oversizing was to allow the balls to be returnedresized after use and wear without making them undersized. Once upon a time, exploding billiard balls were an everyday thing it was a side effect of no longer making them from ivory the interesting thing is that it doesnt sound like people minded much. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading ivory s ghosts. In 1869, an inventor named john wesley hyatt came up. Following on from the first wooden balls, the next material of choice was of course ivory. About the author mike shamos is the curator of the billiard archive, the worldfamous storehouse of information about billiards located in pittsburgh, pennsylvania.
The origin of billiards dates back to the 14 th century as an outdoor lawn game similar to croquet. Ivorys ghosts is the first comprehensive, contemporary look at the worlds most treasured organic material, ivory. Imitation ivory and the power of play lemelson center for the study. Antique ivory snooker ball set with original wooden case. The albany billiard ball company was founded in 1868 by john. Offered here is a superlative set of antique early 20th century ivory billiard balls by the brunswickbalkecollender co. For sale three old ivory billiard balls pre 1947, now.
Inducted 2004 martin started making cues in the 1920s. Home antique pool balls antique ivory three ball set with box. The average number of billiard balls that could be obtained from a. These items emerged from the thousands of tons of ivory purchased and shipped from africa. Ivory in world history early modern trade in context. Apr 06, 2017 once upon a time, exploding billiard balls were an everyday thing it was a side effect of no longer making them from ivory the interesting thing is that it doesnt sound like people minded much. Those of two and threeeighths in diameter, if made of the best east india ivory, closegrained and properly seasoned, will average a weight of seven ounces each, and are those best suited to the game. But as europeans began to colonize africa and asia, they developed a taste for exotic materials from foreign lands. But one key item remained unchangedthe ivory billiard ball. Imitation ivory and the power of play lemelson center for. The death of billiards and the rise of plastic on 99% invisible with. The only material that would do everything the game required was topgrade ivory, which according to mars was actually called billiardball.
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