Object of the Day, Caption Contest: The Baby Sitter

Click on the image to get a closer look.

This handsome chromolithograph was never utilized. In one way, it’s a shame that it wasn’t since it’s very cute. However, the fact that it wasn’t used also increased its chances of surviving in such good condition. See the “sign” in the upper right corner? That was meant to be over-printed with a company’s information. This card was printed in bulk. Advertisers could select it from a catalog and have the already-printed stock, over-printed with their own slogan and address, etc.

I was quite happy to see this card tucked into a stack I’d bought a few weeks ago. I like dogs, as you know, and I rather find the idea of a terrier taking care of a baby to be a charming one. Of course, if I was a parent to a human child, I might feel differently about this. But, as I am only a parent to Bertie, I find it cute.

Having lived with a terrier for over a decade, I have to tell you that should I ever tie a rope to a basket containing a baby, Bertie would not conclude that it was his job to gently pull the rope to rock the baby. If instructed to do something with the rope, Bertie probably would, bit, gentle rocking would not be the result. Forceful, playful tugging on the rope would occur because, well, that’s how dogs play. Babies would be flying all over the place. But, Bertie’d like that. He likes babies. They’re soft and they taste sweet (to kiss not to eat).

The Art of Play: A Scottie Dog Soft Toy, 1933

Scottie Soft Toy
Unknown Maker, possibly Chad Valley
English 1933-34
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Soft toys have always been popular with children who delight in cuddling these inanimate friends. Aside from bears, one of the most popular subjects for stuffed animals have been doggies. And, aside from a Westie, what better dog for a soft toy than a lovely, little Scottie?

This soft Scottie was made in England between 1933 and 1934. The body of straw if covered with soft, black mohair which has been tipped in gray. The dog’s black nose has been embroidered beneath its brown and black glass eyes.

The maker of this toy is unknown. Originally, he would have had a ribbon or collar around his neck which would have contained a paper tag or metal button with the maker’s name. That has long since been lost, but this Scottie is just as dashing as ever.

Bertie's Pet-itations: A Room with a View

Here's Bertie's weekly opportunity to share his ideas for creating our new "Beautiful Age."  Bertie's advice, I'm sure, can be applied to many different areas of our lives.

And, so, I happily hand the computer over to him.


Bertie says:

Sometimes, all you need is a new seat to get a new view on life.

Bertie's Pet-itations: It's Caring

Here's Bertie's weekly opportunity to share his ideas for creating our new "Beautiful Age."  Bertie's advice, I'm sure, can be applied to many different areas of our lives.

And, so, I happily hand the computer over to him.


Bertie says:

I like to share.  I like to share when it's you doing the sharing.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: “Bashaw, Lord Dudley’s Favorite Dog,” by Matthew Cotes Wyatt, 1831

Bashaw or
Lord Dudley's Favourite Dog or
The Faithful Friend of Man Trampling Underfoot
His Most Insidious Enemy
Matthew Cotes Wyatt, 1831
Commissioned by Lord Dudley
The Victoria & Albert Museum

In 1831, the extravagant Lord Dudley commissioned famed sculptor Matthew Cotes Wyatt to create a life-sized bronze sculpture of his favorite dog—Bashaw. Money, Wyatt was told, was no object. Bashaw was brought to Wyatt’s studio for sittings over fifty times and the artist studied the canine’s every feature.


The sculpture was to be polychrome bronze with jeweled eyes. Lord Dudley personally selected the gemstones for the eyes after rifling through the family jewels. He chose lovely Persian topaz and sardonyx. Wyatt finished the magnificent sculpture at a cost of £5000. Now, just to put things into perspective, a full-length marble sculpture of a human man would have cost £3000. So, we can see that this was, indeed, an epic undertaking.

Too bad Lord Dudley never saw it. He died before the sculpture was completed. Even more of a pity is the fact that Wyatt was never paid for the work. Lord Dudley’s heirs referred to pay the cost which they deemed ridiculous. Wyatt kept the sculpture and displayed it in his own studio in 1834, and later at 1851’s Great Exhibition where it was heralded as the finest figure of a quadruped ever sculpted.

Detail showing topaz and sardonyx eyes
The Victoria and Albert Museum

As times and tastes changed, Bashaw’s sculpture fell out of favor. In 1960, The Victoria & Albert Museum purchased the piece for only £200. Today, however, it is appreciated for the impressive statue that it is. You can see Bashaw in all his glory as he nonchalantly tramples a large snake (which also serves to hold him up) when you visit London’s V&A.

Royal Pets: Queen Alexandra with Facey, 1893

Queen Alexandra While
Princess of Wales
with Facey, 1893
Sir (Samuel) Luke Fildes
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Among the gifts given to The Duke and Duchess of York (the future King George V and Princess Victoria Mary of Teck), was this beautiful painting of the Duke’s mother, The Princess of Wales (later, Queen Alexandra) and one of her favorite dogs, Facey.

The painting by Sir Samuel Luke Fildes was commissioned by Members of Royal Household as a gift for the Duke. Mary of Teck was said to have been very fond of the painting and displayed it prominently.

Royal Pets: Sandringham Lucy by Carl Fabergé, 1908



Sandringham Lucy
Carl Fabergé , 1907-1908
Chalcedony, Rubies
Commissioned by King Edward VII
Purchased by King George V while Prince of Wales
The Royal Collection



An avid sportsman, King Edward VII enjoyed long visits to the Royal residence at Sandringham where he spent most of his time hunting and shooting. His favorite companions at Sandringham were the pack of Clumber Spaniels which lived at the estate. Edward VII’s son, the future King George V, also appreciated the Clumber Spaniels, and like his father, had a particular fondness for one in particular—Sandringham Lucy.


I was not very familiar with Clumber Spaniels. The breed originated in France in the eighteenth century and was first bred in England by the Duke of Newcastle at Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire. They can be seen in the 1871 painting, “A Big Shoot at Sandringham” by Thomas Jones Barker.

A Big Shoot at Sandringham
Thomas Jones Barker, 1871
The Royal Collection

In 1907, King Edward VII commissioned Carl Fabergé to create a miniature sculpture of Sandringham Lucy. Fabergé observed the dog and modeled the figure from life. The sculpture of chalcedony with ruby eyes took over a year to create. For reasons now unknown, Edward VII never claimed the sculpture. It was purchased from Fabergé in 1909, By George V, shortly before his father’s death.  He was probably urged to do so by Mary of Teck, his wife, who--among other things--amassed a huge collection of jeweled and enameled animal figurines by Fabergé.

The Art of Play: A Scottie Dog Soft Toy, 1933

Scottie Soft Toy
Unknown Maker, possibly Chad Valley
English 1933-34
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Soft toys have always been popular with children who delight in cuddling these inanimate friends. Aside from bears, one of the most popular subjects for stuffed animals have been doggies. And, aside from a Westie, what better dog for a soft toy than a lovely, little Scottie?

This soft Scottie was made in England between 1933 and 1934. The body of straw if covered with soft, black mohair which has been tipped in gray. The dog’s black nose has been embroidered beneath its brown and black glass eyes.

The maker of this toy is unknown. Originally, he would have had a ribbon or collar around his neck which would have contained a paper tag or metal button with the maker’s name. That has long since been lost, but this Scottie is just as dashing as ever.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: “A Rough Dog,” by George Stubbs, 1790

A Rough Dog
George Stubbs, 1790
The Royal Collection

The Royal Family, historically, has always had great affection for their pets. King George IV was no exception. Though George also enjoyed the company of people (women, mostly), he also cherished his animal companions.


In 1790, George Stubbs was commissioned to paint this portrait of a friendly, but somewhat messy dog for King George IV. Stubbs was known primarily as a painter of horses, but showed a remarkable versatility with this painting which is not only a great portrait of the dog, but also a rather impressive landscape.

Object of the Day, Caption Contest: The Baby Sitter

Click on the image to get a closer look.

This handsome chromolithograph was never utilized. In one way, it’s a shame that it wasn’t since it’s very cute. However, the fact that it wasn’t used also increased its chances of surviving in such good condition. See the “sign” in the upper right corner? That was meant to be over-printed with a company’s information. This card was printed in bulk. Advertisers could select it from a catalog and have the already-printed stock, over-printed with their own slogan and address, etc.

I was quite happy to see this card tucked into a stack I’d bought a few weeks ago. I like dogs, as you know, and I rather find the idea of a terrier taking care of a baby to be a charming one. Of course, if I was a parent to a human child, I might feel differently about this. But, as I am only a parent to Bertie, I find it cute.

Having lived with a terrier for over a decade, I have to tell you that should I ever tie a rope to a basket containing a baby, Bertie would not conclude that it was his job to gently pull the rope to rock the baby. If instructed to do something with the rope, Bertie probably would, bit, gentle rocking would not be the result. Forceful, playful tugging on the rope would occur because, well, that’s how dogs play. Babies would be flying all over the place. But, Bertie’d like that. He likes babies. They’re soft and they taste sweet (to kiss not to eat).

So, let’s have a caption contest.

What could this advertise? Why is the dog baby sitting? Whose baby is it? How does the baby feel about all of this? Why are they outside? Why is there a blank piece of wood nailed up there? And, go… Answers in the comments, please. 

Object of the Day: Boy with Macaroni Dog, 1775

Boy with Macaroni Dog
1775
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This isn't like the "Fusilli Jerry." This adorable figure by William Duesbury & Co. (manufacturer) is rendered in soft-paste porcelain and painted with enamels and gilding. It depicts a boy with a Macaroni dog.


What makes him a Macaroni Dog? Well, he is dressed in fanciful costume inasmuch Ashe has an elaborate cocked hat on its head.

Macaroni, in mid-18th century England when and where this figure was made, was a term used to refer to a fashionable fellow who dressed and even spoke in an outlandishly affected and epicene manner and who, in doing so, exceeded the bounds of fashion. So, this dog's hat makes him something of a dandy. But he's cute enough to get away with it.

Object of the Day: A Drawing by Cecil Aldin, 1912

British artist and illustrator Cecil Aldin became known for his drawings of sporting life, especially his beautifully and fluid illustrations of dogs. An avid fan of dogs, Aldin particularly enjoyed drawing his canine friends.


Aldin illustrated many famous tomes from Kipling’s The Jungle Book to Dickens’ The Pickwick Papers, but is most celebrated for his personal stories of dogs and their adventures. Among these is Mac, the story of a curious West Highland White Terrier.

This illustration is one of a collection from the 1912 book, Mac. Here, above Aldin’s signature, we see Mac up to his usual mischief. Of course, I find myself drawn to these illustrations because of their similarity to my Bertie. However, in their own right, they are wonderful representations of the true nature of all terriers.

Royal Pets: Queen Alexandra with Facey, 1893

Queen Alexandra While
Princess of Wales
with Facey, 1893
Sir (Samuel) Luke Fildes
The Royal Collection

Among the gifts given to The Duke and Duchess of York (the future King George V and Princess Victoria Mary of Teck), was this beautiful painting of the Duke’s mother, The Princess of Wales (later, Queen Alexandra) and one of her favorite dogs, Facey.


The painting by Sir Samuel Luke Fildes was commissioned by Members of Royal Household as a gift for the Duke. Mary of Teck was said to have been very fond of the painting and displayed it prominently.