Miniature Bull Terrier of Taunton

When I see a little Bull Terrier with a patch over one eye, I cannot help but think of the pet of Charles Dicken's most well known villian - Bill Sikes' Bull's-eye.

"Bill Sikes and Bull's-eye" by Fred Barnard, 1912

Frontispiece for The Adventures of Oliver Twist in the Centenary Edition (1912)

Needless to say we cannot be concerned that the little dog in the photograph was treated with anything other than kindness by his owner, who puts a reassuring arm around the animal whilst they pose for their protrait in front of a naturalistic painted backdrop.

The reverse of the photo mount

The photographer John Blizard was born in 1826 in Pershore, Worcestershire. Blizard married Sarah Ann Cosnett from Tauton, Somerset in Cheltenham on 9th June 1846. They went on to have five children; Annie, Matilda, Catherine, Ellen & Francis John.

In 1871 Blizard was working as a photographer at his home address of 52 East Street, Taunton, Somerset. Census records show that he employed "1 boy and 2 girls".  His wife Sarah's occuaption is also listed as a photograher, and his eldest daughter Annie is listed as a "photographic colourist".

Blizard worked togther with John Webber for only a short time, after the death of Webber, Blizard continued working as a photographer. But within a decade the Blizard family's lives took very different turn. Census records from 1881 show the 54 year old John became Master of The Poor Law, Union Workhouse in Taunton. Sarah Ann worked as the Matron and Catherine and Francis John lived at the workhouse with their parents.

Union Workhouse, Taunton c1880s. 

The people standing on the path are very likely to be John and Sarah Blizard.

Sources:

•  Bill Sikes and Bull's-eye by Fred Barnard
• Marriage of John Blizard 1846. Ancestry.com. Gloucestershire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1938 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. 
• John Blizard and family in the 1871 census. Ancestry.com. 1871 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. 
• Alternative CDV mount design for "J. Blizard late Webber & Blizard" 
• Another CDV by Webber & Blizard featuring a sitter with their dog
• The Workhouse, The Story of an Insitution - Record of Staff at the Taunton Union Workhouse 1881
• The Workhouse, The Story of an Insitution - Taunton

The St. Bernard Puppy of Southport

A tiny little girl sits on an seemingly enormous cushion with her St Bernard Puppy in this portrait from the 1880s. Which one of them is the cutest is difficult to decide. Perhaps the proportions of this young pup, with his huge, chunky paws will sway your decision!

The photographer Lambert Partington was born in Lancashire, son of John & Harriet in 1840. He married Mary Hannah in 1875 and they had three children - Edith Emily (born about 1878), Lilian (born about 1879) and Harriett (born 1884). In their early twenties whilst still living at home the two eldest sisters worked as photographic assistants for their father.

The Studio where the photograph was taken on Bath Street, was in operation under the Partington name from 1871 to 1921

This pup looks like he just stepped out from one of Dutch artist Otto Eerelman's 19th century dog portraits. Just like Saint-Bernard Puppies painted in 1904, shown below.

Eerelman had a real talent in rendering the lighthearted, cheerful natures of these pups, with their soft fur, in just a few simple brushstrokes.


Sources:

• Lambert Partington in the 1841 Census, 1851 Census, 1861 Census
• Lambert Partington in the 1891 Census
• Example of an alternate mount design for a CDV from Partington's Southport studio, and another design here
• Lambert Partington on the victorianphotographers.co.uk database 
• Otto Eerelman Saint-Bernard Puppies in Cristie's Auctions, 2010

The Scottish Terrier : A Breed of Two Types

This year's Best in Show Crufts winner was a Scottish Terrier Champion McVan's from Russia with love, or "Knopa" to her family. If you could say anything about this dog, apart from her good looks, it would be that she is extremely well traveled. A natvie Scottish breed, bred in the USA who lives in Russia and came all the way to England to compete in the world's biggest dog show. It is for Knopa that I write this post, about a Scotty in my archive who is perhaps one of the Champion's distant ancestors.

Over 100 years ago a well-to-do lady took her two beloved companions with her to the photographers studio to have their portrait taken. Once of these dogs, a Border Collie was unable to sit still for the duration of the photographic exposure, but the other dog, a Scotty, managed to stay perfectly still & alert for his big moment.

For the photograph the pair of dogs had their leather muzzles removed so their faces could be better seen.  I have looked at this photograph many times and wondered why the muzzles were left in the foreground of the image. Perhaps the owner used them as a warning to the dogs that they would be put straight back on if they did not behave for the photographer! The photographer in question was J. A. Latter. He operated his Studio in St Mary's Road in Wallingford, Oxfordshire between 1899 & 1911 so we can date this photograph between those years.

 If we look at a photograph by Darren Staples taken of Knopa on her winning evening at Crufts and compare it to the 1900's Scotty, you can see how the breed has been developed and altered over the years.

As with many dog breed's the exact origin of the Scottish terrier was the subject of much debate in the 1870's. As interest in dogs in general grew there was a need to classify individual varieties. The Scotty of the early 1900's was of mixed heritage, descended from a number of different Scottish working terriers. There were two types of dogs in particular which were particular important to the development of the breed; the Aberdeen Terrier and the Highland Terrier.

The British Museum holds within its natural history collections a specimen of each of these types which you can see below. The Aberdeen Terrier is on the left and was given to the museum by the Royal Veterinary College in 1900. The Highland Terrier has a much smoother coat and can be seen on the right.

In 1890 the Kennel Club assumed overall control of pedigree registrations, and in 1892 The Scottish Terrier Club was formed and a breed standard was created for the Scottish Terrier.

Having started this post with a Scottish Terrier successful at a dog-show,  I'll end with another. Here is an engraving of "Granite" the first ever Scottish Terrier to be shown at a Kennel Club Show.

Sources:

• McVan's Scottish Terriers Website
• Dogs of the last hundred years at the British Museum (Natural History), Kim Dennis-Bryan & Julier Clutton-Brock, 1988
• Cassell's New Book of the Dog, Vol III, Robert Leighton, 1910
• Oxfordshire County Council, History Centre, List of Oxford Photographers

The Cocker Spaniel Who Had Four Brothers

My first post in 2015 is a double! Featuring two photographs taken at the same time but featuring different poses.

In the first photograph four brothers pose together with their Cocker Spaniel- some of the brothers look more pleased to be having their photographs taken than others! Note the carefully arranged wooden building blocks on the table in the centre of the image.

In the second photograph the youngest (and most fidgety) of the brothers is posed on his own with the Cocker. This little boy obviously wasn't happy with the arrangement of the building blocks, having knocked them down and spread some of them on the floor as well!

I'm sure the sweet little Cocker was kept very busy by the four brothers. Known for their tireless energy and intelligence the Cocker is a perfect companion. I will at this point admit I am somewhat biased, having known many lovely Cockers in my life and currently owning one! (click here to see a photo of my working Cocker Hedley.)

This dark coloured Cocker certainly could do with a trim! The dog's face is narrow and quite delicate, and from this I would think it not unlikely that it is a female.

Photographer Henry Jonathan Hitchcock was born in Leicester in 1869. He married his wife Edith Mary Smith in October 1895 and they had two daughters. Henry opened his photographic studio in the family home at 64 Sparkenhoe Street in Leicester in 1899. My photographs date from circa 1902 when Hitchcock began using the name "Lawn Studio" which you can see on the mount of the photographs.

Want more Spaniels? Click here for my other Spaniel related articles on this website.


Sources:

• H. J. Hitchcock in the early photographers directory (Leicester)

• Henry Jonathan Hitchcock in the 1881 England Census [database on-line]. 

• Henry Jonathan Hitchcock in the 1901 England Census [database on-line]

• Henry Jonathan Hitchcock in the 1911 England Census [database on-line]

• Henry Jonathan Hitchcock & Edith Mary Smith in the FreeBMD. England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]

Winifred & Her Rough Collie

I have a number of photographs with children & their pet dogs in my collection, but I think these two photographs would win an award for the most charming.

In the first photograph Winifred's little hands are slightly blurred as she clutches onto the lead of her Rough Collie, who according to the annotation on the reverse might be called "Whit".

Winifred's portrait was taken by photographer William Coles. His Studio resided at 60 Queen's Road from approximately 1890 to 1908, during which time Coles photographed HRH Princess Eulalie of Spain as well as his more ordinary clients. Below is a postcard view of Queen's road from circa early 1900s.

Click on the image to enlarge

Winifred was certainly a lucky little girl to have such a beautiful Rough Collie as a pet. Take a look at the second photo of the pair in a slightly different pose. Doesn't the dog's fur look soft?

Click on the images to enlarge

Winifred was a very lucky little girl to have such a beautiful Collie as a pet. The origins of the Collie hail from Scotland were they were used for a variety of agricultural pursuits. The Collie is one of the most ancient breeds with more than a passing resemblance to the wolves from which it is descended.

Theo Marples, Victorian editor of Our Dogs magazine describes the breed thus:

"The modern rough-coated Scotch Collie is, without doubt, one of the handsomest examples of the canine species, his long, intelligent head, enormous coat and frill, proportionate frame and symmetry, and great buoyancy of disposition appealing to all dog lovers, and which account for his at once coming into popularity."

 

 Engraving of two champion Collies from Dogs of the British Isles, 1872

A Short Family History of Winifred Hutchings Larcombe

Winifred was the first daughter of Frances (nee Poulton) and Ernest Hutchings Larcombe. You can see their portraits below.

Click on the images to enlarge

 Frances & Ernest married on 30th June 1894 in St Albans.

Winifred was born in April 1895. The family lived comfortably, Ernest worked as a law clerk and the family was able to afford a domestic servant who lived with them in their home.

In 1911 when she was 16 Winifred was a Bridesmaid, but she herself would never marry. She died aged 60 in 1956.

Sources:

• Hertfordshire Genealogy - The Photographs & Postcards of Coles of Watford
• William Coles, Photographer in the 1911 England Census
• Larcombe-Morpett Wedding in the Goulburn Evening Penny Post Newspaper, 14th of October 1911
• The Larcombe family in the 1901 England Census
• The Larcombe family in the 1911 England Census
• Wedding of Frances Poulton & Ernest Larcombe in England & Wales Marriages
• Show Dogs, Their Points & Characteristics, How to Breed for Prizes & Profits, Theo Marples, 1915

The Sleepy Mastiff

How to get your dog to wait patiently to have his photograph taken? Perhaps simply wait for him to relax, close his eyes and have a little nap. This is certainly what has happened in the case of the handsome brindle Mastiff in this photograph.

Posed against a simple backdrop, the different shades of colour in the dogs coat can be easily picked out. The piece of dark furniture to the right of the image gives a sense of scale.

In 1887 John Henry Walsh wrote of the ideal colour of a Mastiff in his book The Dog in Health and Disease:

The colour is either stone-fawn with black points or brindled. No white should be permitted as a rule, but a white toe will occur occasionally.

The photograph was taken by Robert Slingsby. Born in 1839 Slingsby began his career in Lincoln in 1859, early in his photographic pratice he was also a stationer and dealer of artist supplies. His most important contribution to the world of photography was his research into the use of flash light for photography. As early as 1869 Slingsby had a photograph reproduced in Illustrated London News that had been created with artificial light. In 1890 Slingsby was granted a patent for a device that synchronized a flash lamp with a camera shutter. He died in Lincoln in 1895.

The pretty design on the reverse of the mount

The Mastiff along with the Greyhound is one of the most ancient of all dog breeds. Like many breeds, its original origins are uncertain. But it is most like to have been developed in the far eastern regions of Assyria. In many museums examples of Mastiff type dogs can be seen depicted on bas-reliefs that date back as far as 2200 B. C.

Sources

• Robert Slingsby in the 1891 England Census
• Robert Slingsby in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery
• Royal Photographic Society Exhibitions featuring Robert Slingsby
• Encyclopedia of Nineteenth-Century Photography, John Hannavy, 2007
• The Dog in Health and Disease, John Henry Walsh, 1887
• Dog Painting 1840-1940, William Second, 1992

Little Lou Lou

What a charming creature greets us in this simple photograph. A white fluffy Maltese sits on a highly polished table for a portrait photograph. Skillfully the photographer has posed the dog on an object much darker than its fur to create superb contrast in the image.

On the reverse of the photograph a message is written to the recipient, as if written by the dog himself:

"My Photograph" for dear kind Aunt Anne with Little Lou Lou's best love..."

The silky-haired small white Maltese lap dog is the most ancient of all the laps dogs of the Western world. First imported into England during the reign of Henry VIII, they were regarded as "meet playfellows for mincing mistresses" during the reign of Elizabeth I. During these times the Maltese was believed to possess healing powers - the sick and ailing would put the little dogs on their stomach or chest for comfort, and they became known as the "Comforter." 

 The Maltese Dog illustrated in The Dogs of the British Islands, 1872

Lou Lou's photograph was taken by Alexander James Grossmann at 56 Snargate Street, Dover.

Born in 1833 in Pressbourg, Hungary - Alexander came to the UK in 1851. The story goes that the ship he was traveling to the England on was wrecked near the Island of Malta. He was cared for by an Anglican clergyman who converted him to Christianity and gave him the name of Alexander James Grossmann.

After settling in Dover Alexander first worked as a watchmaker, and later became a photographer. For how long his business was successful I have been unable to find out. However the London Gazette tells us the Alexander became bankrupt while still at the address featured on the rear of the photo mount.

Sources:

• Alexander James Grossmann in the National Portrait Gallery Collection
• Alexander James Grossmann in the London Gazette, 1876
• Alexander James Grossmann in the Ancestry Historical Person Search
• Alexander James Grossmann family tree & here
• The Dover Society - Snargate Street
• Maltese Breed History on Foxstone Maltese
• Dogs of the British Islands, Stonehenge, 1872
• Dogs and All About Them, Robert Leighton, 1910

Black and Tan Terrier in Camberwell

This is a portrait of a Black and Tan (or English Toy Terrier). Before the formation of the Kennel Club in England, Black and Tan's were used in rat pit. In this sport, men would bet on the number of rats, and the speed at which the dog would be able to kill them. One of the smallest and most famous ratters was 5lb "Tiny" who is said to have killed 100 rats in just over 5 minutes.

 

A rat pit in the 1860's

Looking at the dog in this photograph, with its fancy beaded, necklace-like collar, I think it very unlikely that he or she was used in the pit! In 1882 John Herny Walsh writes of the Black and Tan in his book Dogs of the British Islands:

The black-and-tan English terrier is a very elegant dog, approaching in his symmetry to the greyhound. Skull flat and narrow; eye small and dark; nose black. The ears, if cropped, should be erect, long, and tapering to a fine point. 

The photographer Henry Death, has taken great care with his subject to create contrast between the dark, shiny coat of the dog and the paler, plain backdrop. This effect creates a simple but startling portrait.

The reverse of the mount - the first I have seen noting the business hours

Henry Death was born on 31st of July 1820 son of Alice and William Death in Molton, Cambridgeshire. He married Frances Ann, and together they had four sons and three daughters. Death started his photographic career in 1856, opening a studio in the family home at 5 Addington Place, Camberwell Road, London.

The family resided there until July 16th 1863 when they moved to 119 Camberwell Road where the Black and Tan terrier had his portrait painted. The house & studio was put up for sale in September 1887, because of Death's ill health. Death died in 1900 after a short retirement from photography. We can therefore date the photograph in question to between 1863 and 1887, judging by the simple style of the mount I would date it to the earlier part of this period.

Below is a photograph of 119 Camberwell Road as it is today, the interior retains some of the period features, such as the decorative wooden flooring, which would have been there when it was the home of the Death family.

You may also be interested in reading articles from this website relating to Manchester Terriers -
click here to view.

Sources:

• Henry Death in England and Wales Christening records 1812-1822
• Portrait of a woman by Henry Death in the State of Victoria Library Collection
• Henry Death in the Directory of 19th Century London Photographers
• Henry Death in the 1891 Census
• Property History of 119 Camberwell Road
• Manchester terrier Breed History
• Dogs of the British Islands, 1882, John Henry Walsh 

Little and Large

What a pair these two dogs make! It is unclear whether this St Bernard was photographed next to this little West Highland White terrier puppy, because they belonged to the same owner, or simply because when paired together they made an interesting subject.

The photographers of this image were William Henry Wheeler and George P. Day of 106 High Street, Oxford, England.

In 1865 Wheeler and Day purchased the photographic business of Edward Bracher which resided at 26 High Street and moved it to 106 High Street. In Jackson's Oxford Journal for 28th of October 1865, Wheeler and Day advertise their new "large and commodious Photographic Gallery".

There is an engraving of the shop on the reverse of the photograph.

 

In 1871 Wheeler and Day separated as business partners, but Willian Henry Wheeler continued the business at the same premises. A very similar engraving as on the back of the CDV appears on Wheelers bill-head c1872, shown below.  Taking into account this information we can date "Little and Large" to between 1865 and 1871.

Reproduced by permission of Oxfordshire County Council, Reference Number: HT14020

A short Family History for William Henry Wheeler, born about 1831

Here is Wheeler in the 1871 census, listed as a Bookseller. Business much have been thriving as he is listed as "employing 4 men, 2 apprentices and 2 boys". At this time William and his wife Ellen, also employed two servants (one who was aged just 13) who would have cared for their then two year old daughter Frances, and 5 month old daughter Lucy. (Click on the image for a larger view)

Source Information: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871. Kew, Surrey, England

By 1891 Henry and Ellen had had another four children together (two son's and two daughters), they had also increased their household staff to six servants and one waiter. Their daughter Frances was also now working as an assistant to her father at 106 High Street. (Click on the image for a larger view)

Source Information: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891. Kew, Surrey, England

William continued to work until his death aged 87 in 1918 and the business was closed shorty after.

 Source Information: Principal Probate Registry. Calendar of the Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration made in the Probate Registries of the High Court of Justice in England. London, England © Crown copyright.

106 High Street is now the Oxford University Bookshop, and the shop front has changed little since Wheeler & Day set up business there 148 years ago as you can see in the image below.

Sources:

• The history of 106 High Street from Oxfordshire History
• List of photographers of The High, Oxford
• Trick photograph of a headless man by William Henry Wheeler, c1875 
• The Oxford University shop website

Spaniel from The Isle of Wight

A father and son? (with a faithful spaniel). There is certainly a family resemblence between these two gentlemen - in hairline, build and facial hair. This photograph was taken at the Studio of John Brown and John George Wheeler at Wilton House, High Street, West Cowes, Isle of Wight. As well as their photographic work the pair painted miniatures and local views, an example of which can be seen here.

Brown and Wheeler were working together at Wilton House from 1867 to approximately 1875, so we can date this photograph to this time frame. The simple photograph mount and thin cardstock would put this photograph in the earlier part of these dates.

A Short Family History for John George Wheeler

Born in Camberwell John worked as a Teacher at a private school before becoming a photographer, as you can see below in the 1861 Census. John had 5 children, 3 of which were born in Winchester between c1853-1858. It appears that the family moved to the island in c1859.

Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1861. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1861.

John was still working as a photographer at the age of 53 according to the 1881 Census. He died aged 77 in 1905, he was buried on February the 28th (on the same date that his wife Sophia had been buried in 1894.)

 

Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1881.  

 

Sources:

• Isle of Wight Photographers Notes on Wheeler 
• National Trust Collection Brown and Wheeler CDV