POTW: Knickerbocker Field Club

Tess Colwell

[Men playing tennis, Flatbush, Brooklyn], 1889., V1974.7.71, Adrian Vanderveer Martense collection, Arc.191; Brooklyn Historical Society. [Men playing tennis, Flatbush, Brooklyn], 1889., V1974.7.71, Adrian Vanderveer Martense collection, Arc.191; Brooklyn Historical Society.
If you’ve ever walked along Church Avenue in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, you might not notice a gated entrance to the Knickerbocker Field Club, also known as “the Knick”, located at East 18th Street and Tennis Court. Since 1889, the private, member-owned tennis club has maintained five tennis courts tucked behind a large apartment complex and above the Q train line. It’s a hidden Brooklyn gem and if you’re a tennis lover, they are still taking members! To learn more, check out the Knickerbocker Field Club website.

The photo of the week depicts the Knickerbocker Field Club in 1889. This photograph comes from the Adrian Vanderveer Martense collection that comprises lantern slides and photographs taken by Martense from 1872 to 1889. Many of the photograph depicts the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, but other collection highlights include photographs of the Blizzard of 1888 and Prospect Park. To see more photographs from this collection, check out this gallery.

Interested in seeing more photos from BHS’s collection? Visit our online image gallery, which includes a selection of our images. Interested in seeing even more historic Brooklyn images? Visit our Brooklyn Visual Heritage website here. To search BHS’s entire collection of images, archives, maps, and special collections visit BHS’s Othmer Library Wed-Sat, 1:00-5:00 p.m. library@brooklynhistory.org

 

This blog post reflects the opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of Brooklyn Public Library.

 

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