If you’ve been on my Pinterest page then you know I’m a sucker for a good dog photo. Vintage dog photos are even better. Needless to say, vintage English dog photos are the cats’ meow. Like the creative snap above and the one below of Charles Dickens and his dog.
Or this one of Lady Diana Beauclerk, circa 1866
or this one of actress Ellen Terry and friend. Whether the dogs are with well known people, on their own, or with their otherwise unknown but beloved owners, the vintage dog photos are compelling.
After a while, it began to dawn on me that many of the dog photos I was repining were noted as being from `the Libby Hall dog photo collection.’ The collection, I learned upon further research, is now held by the Bishopsgate Institute and Ms. Hall has published four books based upon some of these fabulous photographs she has collected over the years.
As there’s no point in re-inventing the wheel, I’m now going to turn you over to that most excellent blog, Spitalfields Life, where you can find the in-depth story and interview they did with Ms. Hall last year. I hope you will be as intrigued by Libby Hall and the funny/heartwarming/stirring and always evocative photos of England and it’s dogs that she’s saved from the dustbin (God bless her) and collected for us to cherish.