Vintage Pet Photos

I have been collecting original vintage photos of pets, mostly dogs, for around 15 years. My collection spans 1860-1970, with the majority being from the "golden age" of picture postcards (1900-1920) and mostly from the UK, France or Germany (although I have items from all over the world). I have a smaller number of cabinet cards/carte-de-visites and snapshot photographs. My collection is one of the largest private collections of its type, covering a wide range of dog breeds, countries, and eras.

In the late Victorian and early Edwardian era, it was the height of fashion to have your photo taken with your dog. Much of this was due to members of the aristocracy and royalty (including Queen Victoria and King Edward VII), who were often photographed or painted with their favourite dogs. The breeds commonly seen in photos were also heavily influenced by the fashion set by the royal family - Queen Victoria was responsible for the popularity (and much of the breed history) of the Rough Collie, and Edward VII's faithful Fox Terrier "Caesar", who took part in his funeral procession, caused possibly one of the first breed fads.

Photo postcards are a fantastic resource for historians and I feel it's a shame that so many are held in private collections, unable to be enjoyed by the public. As a result of this I started a Facebook page for my collection a number of years ago, which has attracted over 25,000 followers so far. Make sure to follow on Facebook for new pictures every day.

Click here for Vintage Dog-A-Day on Facebook!

If you would like to use my photos for anything other than sharing on Facebook (e.g. on your own website or in print) then please contact me first, as the copyright laws concerning old photos can be complicated and vary between countries.