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| Looty, The First Pekingese in Britain The Royal Collection |
Many of the dog breeds with which we’re very familiar today are actually relatively new imports. I know Westies aren’t indigenous to the south central U.S. Yet, I found this particular photo to be very interesting. To think that anything is the first of its kind in a nation is sort of a delicious thought. Here, we see “Looty,” the very first Pekinese (or, if you prefer, Pekingese) in the United Kingdom. Looty was given as a gift to Queen Victoria in April of 1861. Victoria, a lover of dogs, was immediately enamored with the Peke who had been brought a Captain Dunne of the 99th Regiment, from Yuanming Yuan, the Summer Palace near Beijing.
Looty was given much freedom to roam the Queen’s homes. This photo taken in 1865 by William Bambridge was just one of a series of albumen prints that Queen Victoria had commissioned to create keepsakes of her beloved pets.
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