The R. H. Macy & Company aka Macy’s, did, like most other retail companies in the past, sell brand-name tennis balls. In the early 1900’s, a company from the United Kingdom, A. W. Phillips, Ltd., was one of the largest producers of tennis balls. As a matter of fact, Phillips made many of the ‘house brand’ balls that were sold under various names.
Pennsylvania Rubber Company, Dunlop, and Wright & Ditson had their turns packaging tennis balls for Macy’s. Pennsylvania balls were packaged in yellow cans much like the Pennsylvania balls of the day. Dunlop and Wright & Ditson cans were red. For many years the style of the Macy’s can remained the same, a solid colored can with a tennis ball at top and two white bands around the lower section containing the words “TENNIS” “BALLS”.
Macy’s cans that were made in the UK and were blue, and most likely a product of A. W. Phillips. Check out the can images and note the patterns and similarities.
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| Made for Macy’s… by A. W. Phillips | Made for Macy’s… by Pennsylvania | Made for Macy’s… by Dunlop | Made for Macy’s… by Wright & Ditson |