Warm Up for the Westminster Show with These Past Dog Champions
The annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show draws huge audiences in person and on television from knowledgeable dog aficionados to general dog lovers who enjoy the pomp and circumstance, the meticulous grooming, the fun agility contests, and (for many of us) the unscripted and often humorous moments when dogs lose focus and just act like regular dogs.
The New York Public Library's collections include 125,000 cigarette cards—promotional themed trading cards that served a dual purpose of stiffening cigarette packages— of which almost 50,000 are digitized for you to explore. For dog fans, there are many notable dog-themed card collections you can browse. In honor of the Westminster show, we're highlighting some of the dogs in the Best Dogs of Their Breed collection which showcases 50 past champions of dog shows around the country and world.
NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 1118104
Breed: Dandie Dinmont Terrier
Name: Alpin Slitrig
Fun fact: The owner, Mrs. Simpson Shaw, was the editor of the Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club Supplement. In 1909 a song about the breed was presented to the club by writer H.J. Bidwell and composer W. Berridge-Hicks. Here's a sampling of the lyrics: "He's full of pluck and go, And for any kind of sport he's very hand-y; To hunt is his delight, From morning until night, My merry little Border Tyke, My Dan-die!"
NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 1118069
Breed: Brussels Griffon
Name: Copthorne Talk O' The Town
Fun fact: Named after Brussels, their city of origin, Brussels Griffons are thought by many to resemble the appearance of a monkey.
NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 1118075
Breed: English Bulldog
Name: Rodney Stone
Fun fact: Rodney was the first bulldog sold for £1000.
NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 1118096
Breed: Dachshund
Name: Lady Madeline
Fun fact: A dachshund has never won Best in Show at Westminster.
NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 1118113
Breed: Irish Terrier
Name: Thorncroft Marksman
Fun Fact: Marksman was dominant in his day. In April 12, 1911, the Boston Globe ran this headline about the 27th annual dog show of the New England Kennel Club: "Thorncroft Marksman Repeats His New York Success. Sensational Irish Terrier Ran Away With Everything in Sight in His Class."
NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 1118097
Breed: Blenheim Toy Spaniel
Name: Windfall
Fun fact: Windfall's owner, The Hon. Mrs. Lytton (née Judith Blunt, and aka Lady Wentworth), wrote Toy Dogs And Their Ancestors: Including The History And Management Of Toy Spaniels, Pekingese, Japanese, And Pomeranians which was published in 1911. She was the granddaughter of mathematician and "first computer programmer" Ada Lovelace, and the great-granddaughter of poet Lord Byron.