Dogs

This volume presents amateur, anonymous snapshots of dogs from the turn of the century to the early 1950s in all kinds of ordinary and extraordinary settings. In it, we see dogs under the Christmas table, on front porches, at play by the beach, and posed beside babies, birthday girls, and in the casual family portrait. Each photograph in this remarkable collection reflects a unique moment in time and the sometimes surprising, occasionally humorous, and always intimate relationships people have with their dogs. Catherine Johnson’s collection – with its small format, unpretentious subjects, and days-gone-by aesthetic – not only reveals a love for ‘man’s best friend’, but also presents a sophisticated selection made with a keen eye for the unusual within mundane.

Catherine Johnson is Chair of the Photography Committee of the National Arts Club. She began her career in photography representing British photographer Norman Parkinson in North America. She has edited two books, Stieglitz and the Photo-Secession 1902 (2002) and Karl Bissinger: The Luminous Years (2003). She lives in New York City.

Great book

I've always enjoyed looking at old photos and pondering what the story is behind them. One of the photos of a Boston terrior has a sad story. "Chuckles" died at one year old in 1941. Who ever had her, loved her very much. What a great book...

So much more than pictures of dogs

I could look at this book over and over and each time discover something new in these photographs. The photos capture so much more than a picture of a dog. They give us a small glimpse into the personality behind the dogs and their people as well as a look into the type of lives they lived from impoverished to well-heeled.