Posing for a Treat!

Even in 1905, it could be hard being a pet. This Jack Russell terrier had to perform for its owners, sitting up and begging on a large wooden barrell. What an indignity this is, it is probably thinking to itself. But being good-natured, it accepts its lot. So if he was, say, five years old and alive today, he would be 110 years old today. But with each dog year being worth seven of a human's, he would be 770!

Look Away Now!

Now, I am sorry if it offends anyone, but I am not a fan of fox hunting. That said, two newly arrived glass plate negatives offer a glimpse of rural life in the Edwardian age that I thought I should share with you.

The first depicts a group of men who are posing with their terriers, guns and two dead foxes. When I first saw this photograph, I thought the men had dug into a badger sett to get to a family of badgers. In this photo, they must have used the jack russells to back the foxes into a corner of the Earth while digging their way to the foxes hiding place. When the foxes were exposed, the men shot them. Not very nice by today's standards, but their actions were of a time much different to now. It still has the power to shock me, though.

This second photograph shows two men who might be father and son. The elder man is holding a fox cub. Maybe, a vixen was killed and the cub was taken to safety. Who knows? Perhaps the man is a gamekeeper, but the boater he is wearing is the not the sort of headgear you would expect to see. The man in front looks benevolent, but there is a hint of malevolence in the expression of the younger man. What do you think?

Ahh! Factor

The Victorians loved mawkish or sentimental postcards. Here is one with a high Ahh! factor. I wonder how long it took to get the puppies into position!

Jack Russell Time 2

I went to a bric-a-brac fair yesterday and looked through the Dog section of a postcard dealer's stock. Most were Jack Russells with multiple puppies, but there were some others. I share them here.

Jack Russell Time

I don't know what it is about Jack Russells, but whenever I pick up an old photograph of someone and their dog, it seems to include a Jack Russell terrier. Here are two I found today. It is nice to think that the owners cared enough to take their beloved pet to the photographer's studio. What, by the way, is your favourite breed?

Raising the Bar!

I've been thinking about my previous post 'Doggy Day' and the photo of the Inventor with his jack russell in a canvas carrying bag behind the handlebars. Great photograph, but something troubled me. I had another look and was stunned at the height of the frames top tube - the part that runs between the handlebar and the saddle. It is above the height of the cyclists navel and the word 'pain' came to me when I thought of the consequences of dismounting badly! Perhaps, this is why early cyclists would scoot with one foot on a pedal and then cock their leg over the saddle to mount the moving cycle - reversing the process when dismounting. Ouch!

Writing in the Sand!

I think most of us have, at least once in our life, picked up a piece of driftwood on the beach and written or drawn something in the sand. I once had the grand [for grand, read particularly stupid] idea of writing my name in 50 foot high letters. I gave up half-way through . . .

Later, I tried to write the name of my beloved Jack Russell, Bert, in the sand, but he thought it was a game. As fast as I wrote it, the quicker he dug up the letters! Tell me, what is the most interesting thing you have written in the sand?

Sylvie perches on the Bird Table

This is Sylvie - Minnie's dearly loved sister who very sadly passed over to the other side two years ago. Sylvie and Minnie came from a kitten farm and were sold as 'designer' cats (an ugly term) to a neighbour's daughter. When she fell pregnant, she decided she had no need for the cats anymore and, not long after we took them on, got rid of her Parson's Jack Russell as well. Draw your own conclusions . . . Two more affectionate cats you could never find!

Jack Russell - Showing off his Best Side

I thought I ought to share this latest acquisition with you all as this Jack Russell is much less 'excited' than the previous dog featured in recent post. That said, it you click on the image you will notice that the printer has blurred the potential problem area . . . The inscription at the bottom of the photograph simply states: Minnie Smith 1919. Now is the dog called Minnie and a member of the Smith family or is it the name of the owner? What strikes me about this portrait is that the dogs attention to whatever is going on off camera to the left is absolutely total. Could the owner be holding a titbit or the Jack Russell's favourite toy? Now that raises another question. Did dogs have treats such as chocolate drops or chews in 1919 and did they have tinned dog food at that time? Probably not, unless of course you know otherwise. Would anyone like to guess what is holding the dog's attention, please?

A Little Girl and her Jack Russell

I still miss my beloved Jack Russell, Bert who died last September. Sometimes I come across a Jack Russell photograph or postcard at an antiques market. This fantastic image of a small child perched on a cushion atop a garden wall with a flower and a Jack Russell was purchased recently. It cost less than £1 (approximately $1.60). Taken in the early 1900s, it is a lovely image. Having some previous experience as a picture editor, my eyes were drawn immediately to the fact the dog is, how can I put it politely, a 'little excited'. Normally, photographers of the time would blur the offending part of the photograph during printing!

A Woman and her Two Dogs

There is something Enid Blyton-esque about this pre-war photograph of a woman and her two Jack Russell terriers. I am not sure what she is using to tempt them to sit up and beg in a pose for the camera. What worries me, judging by the view, is that they seem to be sat on the edge of a cliff . . . Don't do this at home, children!