Pets of the Past

summer german shepard

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 03:46:19 PM

Every body took a bath and spruced up for this photo;

Alfred S. Pettit, Walter Pettit

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:12:28 AM

Alfred Pettit, Walter Pettit, their penciled names repeat and surround this handsome young dog who stands in such a forthright four-square way, with his happy gaze directed at the person who stands outside the picture to our right. The rough unpainted wooden boards of the fence contrast with the prim buttoned up suit of what hints to be a boy or very young man, holding a bundle. This photo mounted on a thick card stock seems like it has been held in a pocket or wallet, and handled frequently. Like a piece of ID, an identifying image looked at and shown to others over and over again, reminding the holder of who he was. Somebody's favorite pocket talisman.

The color is fading in this photo, but it seems to be the kind of photo of which there is only one. The fading gives a flavor of time and heat, wear and tear.

Porch

Sun, 18 May 2008 04:03:43 PM

While she poses on the broken down porch with melting snow all around, beside her dog who puts a proprietary paw on her lap; she adjusts her hair for the image of themselves she has arranged to be made. Both have a similar style to them, neatness and self possession among rather rough surroundings. The two characters reinforce each other. She may be a woman alone, self sufficient, possibly a business owner, who keeps a dog for company and loyalty, and understands that she is obliged to provide the same in return. The dog has the look of a border collie, and I bet watches her, follows her around and generally keeps an eye on her pretty closely, because that's how border collies are, and they take their duties very seriously. Border collies are considered to be the most intelligent of all the dog breeds, they need lot of activity and a job to do, and this looks like a team portrait, a close partnership, all for one and one for all.

Perfect Example

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:10:42 PM

Judging by the uniform, this looks like the WWI years.

A sailor sitting on a deck rail, overlooking the countryside, with a big, fluffy main coon or persian cat, cigarette hanging out of his mouth, looking pretty happy to be having a nice moment on land. There's something wonderful about a snapshot of what looks like a tough guy with a fluffy pet.

This snapshot reminds me of a Brueghel painting, in that if you look at it enlarged, there are details in the background that reveal the ordinary life around going on around the focus of attention. Under his knee is a man walking by a falling down fence in the field, a wooden platform is abandoned in the grass, the field seems to have ditches in it. There is a neat picket fence is below on the left. The cat looks out in perfect security of the care of this sailor's embrace, not struggling to get away, as cats often do when held.

Pets of the Past

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 01:11:39 PM

Having spent more than twelve years in flea markets, going through shoe-boxes full of other people's personal snapshots, I noticed that there were many of people with their pets. These pictures often stand out as being the most spontaneous, unposed and tender of photographs from the past, which generally tended to be much more formal and hierarchical than what we are familiar with now. Now, people use video and really treasure the slice of life moments where they step outside of their roles of responsibility to anything, work or family. But in the past, those responsibilities and order seemed to be much more the focus of people's self-presentation to the world. However, then as now, people seem to have a relationship with their animals even more simple and direct than with their children, there are no expectations or planning for the future there, just the enjoyment of the moment and the happiness of interaction with another being that is just happy to be with you.

It's like a parallel history. Looking back at the past, from the 1890s through the years of WW2 and beyond, these photos show another, parallel, more personal history in contrast to and to balance that of all the wars, invasions, famines, suffering, bigoted and benighted attitudes to sex and race and nationalities, and human relations with nature. There is a sweetness here that people with their stiff collars and tight corsets and girdles and uncomfortable shoes show towards their pets that they don't show to anyone else, even their own families, in public, anyway, or in any way that others could witness or share.

Pets are a blessing, because they offer loyalty and beauty without judgment or expectation. I aim to show as many of these moments as possible, through the medium of these snapshots and artifacts, to affirm the value of our inter-species relationships. To become more humane, and appreciate the animal around us more fully.