Cats and Dogs

As regular visitors to the blog know, I love old pictures of pets almost as much as people in the past loved taking pictures of them. I have just heaps sitting around waiting to be shared. Today, a small start on that!

I couldn't decide whether to post cats or dogs... so here's both!

Alfred Eisenstaedt, LIFE © Time Inc.

Dog walkers in Central Park, NYC, 1964. Source

Library of Congress

A woman with a "smoke Persian" cat, c. 1910. Source

Ralph Crane, LIFE © Time Inc.

A Siamese cat nuzzling poet Rod McKuen as he plays a record, San Francisco, 1967. Source

Best Friends

Pet post time! Today, people and their dogs.

Nationaal Archief

A girl with a puppy, undated. Source

National Media Museum

A girl photographing a dog, c. 1910. Source

State Library of New South Wales

Huskies pulling a sledge, Antarctica, 1911-14. Source

Dogs of New York City

Artists, performers, and other personalities of New York City on the street with their dogs, 1944. From LIFE photographer Nina Leen.

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Comedian Jimmy Durante with his Irish setter in Times Square. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Actress Ruth Gordon walks her poodle. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Gossip columnist (ha!) Ed Sullivan with his black scottie dog. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Conductor Arthur Rodzinski watches as his dog leaps into his wife's arms. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

William F. Schlemmer of Hammacher Schlemmer with his pair of Yorkshire terriers. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Author Fannie Hurst with her excited dog, Orphan Annie. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Fannie Hurst with her dog. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Actress Joan Caulfield looks classy as she walks her Westie (named Witty). Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Of course, the dog isn't quite so into the classy thing, and jumps into the bushes. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Thanks, dog. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Actor Frederic March with his cocker spaniel in the rain. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Actress Joan Roberts, still in costume, walks her bulldog Goggles during an intermission of "Oklahoma!". Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

When your dog decides to pee on a post while you're in costume and in front of a LIFE photographer, all you can do is laugh. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Opera tenor Lauritz Melchior, his wife, and their Great Dane. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

A boy reads the comics while his dog sits by. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Actress Cornelia Otis Skinner with her dogs. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Actress Margaret Webster with her two Cairn terriers as they watch a cat in the window. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Actor John Boles tries to get his schnauzer puppy to climb over a curb. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Artist Earle Winslow, carrying a painting, tries to control his unruly Irish setter. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Still trying... Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Oh, that dog. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Music conductor Andre Kostelanetz with his sheepdog Puff and a young sheepdog admirer. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Sportscaster Bill Stern reads a paper as his dog sniffs the street. Source

Nina Leen, LIFE © Time Inc.

Model Mimi Berry with her cocker spaniel, who very nicely carries a package for her. Source

Daguerreotype Dogs

As long as people have been able to photograph, they have wanted to photograph their pets! 

Note: These aren't all daguerreotypes-- actually very few of them are-- but I needed a snappy title, and 'daguerreotype' evokes the kind of 19th century photos these are. :)

Portrait of a dog, c. 1860 (ambrotype). Source

Portrait of a dog, 1846 (daguerreotype). Source

Man with a dog, 1900. Source

Dog on a chair, 1865. Source

Two portraits of a boy and dog, c. 1860 (ambrotype). Source

Black man with white child and dog, c. 1890. Source

A boy and his dog, c. 1850. Source

Man holding dog, c. 1867 (tintype). Source

Man with his dogs, c. 1860. Source

Woman with a dog, c. 1875. Source

A novelty studio photo, c. 1885. Source

Dog on a love seat, c. 1855 (daguerreotype). Source

A Christmas Puppy

It may not be practical, but oh, giving a puppy to the kids for Christmas is adorable! A series from LIFE-- the first photograph is an Airedale terrier and Raymond and Susie McFarland, while the rest follow 2 and 1/2 year old Sandy Nickerson and his new Golden Retriever puppy. 1972, USA. 

Ralph Crane, LIFE © Time Inc.

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Ralph Crane, LIFE © Time Inc.

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Ralph Crane, LIFE © Time Inc.

Puppy wrestling. Source

Ralph Crane, LIFE © Time Inc.

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Ralph Crane, LIFE © Time Inc.

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Ralph Crane, LIFE © Time Inc.

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Ralph Crane, LIFE © Time Inc.

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Ralph Crane, LIFE © Time Inc.

Awwwwww. Source

Ralph Crane, LIFE © Time Inc.

Best friends! Source