The Sporting Breeds a Collection of Vintage Photos

The Sporting Breeds a Collection of Vintage Photos

Photos courtesy of The Complete Dog Book (New and Revised Edition), 1941

Photographs are not perfect reproductions of their original subjects. Instead, they are reflections, really, light that has been captured to tell stories that begin, “Once upon a time…” For admirers of purebred dogs, photos can tell particularly insightful tales, especially the images that have had many decades to mature. The stories they tell reflect their breeders’ knowledge and abilities, and they demonstrate how far things have come. Occasionally, they remind us how far we have yet to go.

This collection of photos appeared in The Complete Dog Book (New and Revised Edition), 1941. At 736 pages, this Official Publication of the American Kennel Club introduced each of the breeds then recognized by the registry to a public that was clamoring to welcome a purebred dog into the home—and readers wanted to picture the possibilities. As the book’s preface states: “It was felt that each breed should be represented or pictured by illustration. Sketches of the ideal dog of each breed were suggested. After careful deliberation of the subject, it was decided this would be unwise as it would mean presenting only the artist’s conception of the ideal type, which might very possibly not conform with that of the majority interested in that particular breed.” Dog people, it seems, haven’t changed much.

In any event, The New Complete Dog Book has always included both photographs and illustrations in each of its 22 editions. Every image published reflects a breed at a specific time in its history, and each one tells part of a breed’s story. The other part is left to the viewer’s interpretation and imagination. So, as you view this sampling of images, we hope you enjoy imagining what these dogs were like and how they might compare with their counterparts in the show ring and in the field today.