A decline in ping-pong in France: rumour or reality? (1934–1939)

Abstract

In France during the 1930s, sports leisure activities were progressively expanding. Table tennis experienced a surge of popularity in 1932–1933, in particular in the back rooms of drinking establishments. Yet from 1934, there was a dip in the number of spectators attending table tennis events, in its practice in clubs, in articles about it in the press, and in the market for table tennis gear. This study analyses whether this indicated a true decline in the sport or if the picture was more complex, reflecting differences between institutional sport and recreational leisure activities, as well as an effect of the press contributing to the lower visibility of table tennis.

Keywords:

• Rumour
• regression
• sport
• spectators
• manufacturers
• table tennis

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

This article was supported by the Maison des Sciences de l’Homme Lyon Saint-Etienne.

Notes

1 This study is based on doctoral research: the dissertation (Mousset 2017) is available online: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01684760.

2 (20 May 1934). Ping-Pong, French Table Tennis Federation Archives (FFTT).

3 (20 May 1934). Ping-Pong. (FFTT)

4 (20 April 1935). Ping-Pong. (FFTT)

5 (20 January to 5 February 1934). Ping-Pong. (FFTT)

6 (5 March 1934). Ping-Pong. (FFTT)

7 (20 April 1935). Ping-Pong. (FFTT)

8 A stroke that pushes the ball from underneath and generates a slow return.

9 (5 March 1934). Ping-Pong. (FFTT)

10 Ibid.

11 Ibid.

12 (15 March 1934). Revue du tennis et du ping-pong, Tenniseum FFT Museum Archives (FFT), JO.02.34.

13 (5 May 1935). Afric-Ping-Pong, French National Library Archives (Bibliothèque nationale de France: BnF), 4-JO-2.

14 (10 April 1939). L’Auto, BnF, NUMP-16168.

15 (17 January 1939). L’Ouest-Éclair (Rennes edition), BnF, NUMP-1495.

16 (5 April 1939), 1939. Le Figaro, BnF, NUMP-1139.

17 (22 March 1939). Ce Soir, BnF, NUMP-14232.

18 The uptick in 1937 to 27 articles can be partly explained by the publication of an advertisement for the Réserve Saint-Cloud, which had a ping-pong table available for guest stays and weekends initially intended for the bourgeoisie, and then gradually for the middle class (6 June 1937). Le Figaro, BnF, NUMP-1139.

19 (19 April 1937). Le Populaire, BnF, NUMP-6515.

20 L’Auto used the organisation of tournaments to raise sales during the introduction of ping-pong in France at the beginning of the twentieth century (Mousset and Renaud 2016, 183–214).

21 (1 April 1935) and (3 May 1936). L’Intransigeant, BnF, NUMP-5357.

22 (1 April 1935). L’Intransigeant, BnF, NUMP-5357.

23 (18 October 1936). Lyon Ping-Pong, BnF, 4-JO-1740.

24 Ibid.

25 (1937). L’Ouest Ping-Pong, BnF, 4-JO-1842.

26 (April 1936). Normandie Ping-Pong et Tennis, BnF, FOL-JO-1448.

27 (January 1939). La Revue du Ping-Pong, FFTT.

28 (29 October 1935). Match: l’Intran, BnF, NUMP-3825.

29 (5 May 1935). Afric-Ping-Pong, BnF, J-JO-2.

30 (1 March 1934). Revue du tennis et du ping-pong, FFT, JO.02.34.

31 Links to the abandonment of the practice by 20–35-year-olds caused by demographic issues such as mobilisation and military service would be worth further exploration.

32 Sport in France developed mainly in urban areas. Tony Froissart argues that the delay in the spread of competitive sport in rural areas was linked to ‘phenomena of resistance rather than a form of indifference on the part of the population’. (Froissart 2006, 199).

33 (1950). Annuaire de la FFTT, FFTT, FFTT.ANN.50.

34 (January 1939). La Revue du Ping-Pong. (FFTT)

35 (20 January 1935). Ping-Pong. (FFTT)

36 (13 January 1935). Les Jeunes, BnF, NUMP-15487.

37 (2 April 1939). Réunion du Conseil de la FFTT, FFTT.

38 (20 June 1934). Ping-Pong. (FFTT)

39 (1936). Catalogue Au Louvre, Jouets-Étrennes, pendant tout le mois de décembre, Archives of the Musée du Jouet in Poissy (MJP), C.87.121.1.

40 (1936). Catalogue Au Bon Marché, Jouets-Étrennes, Maison A. Boucicaut, Paris, MJP.

41 (1937). Catalogue Au Bon Marché, Les plus beaux jouets, Les plus belles étrennes, Maison A. Boucicaut, Paris, MJP, C.2010.6.10 BONM.672.

42 (1937). Catalogue Aux Trois Quartiers, Jouets, Boulevard de la Madeleine, Paris, BnF, FOL-WZ-221.

43 (1936). Catalogue Bazar de L’Hôtel de Ville, Jouets-Étrennes, Paris, MJP, C.77.8.1.

44 Ibid.

45 (1938). Catalogue Bazar de L’Hôtel de Ville, Jouets-Étrennes, rue de Rivoli, Paris, MJP, C.81.160.1.

46 (December 1934). Aux Trois Quartiers, Boulevard de la Madeleine, Paris, BnF, FOL-WZ-221.

47 (20 March 1934). Ping-Pong. (FFTT)

48 (20 October 1934). Ping-Pong. (FFTT)

49 (1935). Annuaire des articles pour tous, Sports-Jeux-Jouets, 13 rue Auber-Paris, Archives of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, 165 DEP. JOUET.

50 (1936). Au Louvre, Jouets-Étrennes, pendant tout le mois de décembre, Paris, MJP, C.87.121.1.

51 (5 December 1934). Ping-Pong. (FFTT)

52 (20 May 1934). Ping-Pong. (FFTT)

53 (5 December 1934). Ping-Pong. (FFTT)

Additional information

Funding

This article was supported by the Maison des Sciences de l’Homme Lyon Saint-Etienne.