Photography Going to the Dogs takes visitors through 100 years of dog photography and explores the bond between dogs and their owners from the Victorian era into the mid 20th century.
Who? The Kennel Club Gallery, which houses the largest collections of canine paintings in Europe.
What? Photography Going to the Dogs takes visitors through 100 years of dog photography and explores the bond between dogs and their owners from the Victorian era into the mid 20th century. Including historical photography from Crufts, Victorian cartes des visites, cabinet cards and original glass negatives this exhibition adds meaning to the phrase Man’s Best Friend through the art of photography.
Why? From Queen Victoria’s prized Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Dash to Victoria Beckham’s beloved Bulldog Coco, dogs have been the number one pet of choice throughout history. Whilst some dogs hunt, herd, assist police, the military and disabled, most act as great companions for their owners (there are an estimated 400 million pet dogs worldwide). As presented in AnOther’s inaugural The Pets post, in which we met Another Man cover star Tom Ford and Richard Buckley’s two dogs Angus and India, dogs and their owners are often inseparable and treated as if members of the family. For this season even fashion brands can’t get enough of the furry friends: avid dog lover and owner of two bull terriers Marc Jacobs chose to feature seven pairs of pedigree dogs in his campaign for Louis Vuitton A/W11 – alongside Zuzanna Bijoch, Daphne Groeneveld, Gertrud Hegelund, Anaïs Pouliot, Nyasha Matonhodze and Fei Fei Sun – all reclining in chic vintage car interiors. On the catwalk canine references were also rife with Topshop Unique dressing floppy-haired (eared), spotted taloned and dotted nosed models in dalmation prints and dog embellishments, and Jean-Charles de Castlebajac featuring an abundance of dog motifs and prints across his designs.
Photography Going to the Dogs runs until January 13 2012 at The Kennel Club Gallery.
Text by Lucia Davies
