The Billiard Player would much like to know who are at the present time regarded as the amateur champions of their several counties and of the larger cities of the Kingdom. It would like to publish portraits of them all, together with a few biographical details, and it hopes that eventually the amateur championship will be put on a county basis, the entrants being the winners of previous contests amongst groups of counties. There is already an inter-county cricket championship.
The Billiard Player would be glad to receive for reproduction portraits of professional billiard players"From their youth up."It would make a feature of both combined and individual interest. The loan of the portraits would, if required, be paid for.
A kinde of play with balles upon a table, called billiards.—Florio, 1598.
The gallery is a pleasant noble room. In the middle is a billiard table. Evelyn's Diary, 1677.