In a shameless ploy to increase blog traffic, I’m giving the internet what it wants: cute puppies. I’ve scoured the usual sources to bring you the most adorable and amusing puppy anecdotes and photos history can provide. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it. You’re welcome.
I double dog dare you not to “aww” at this 1927 image from Washington, D.C. photography studio Harris & Ewing. From the Library of Congress.
Before the Gosselins and their eight children took over reality TV, there were the Dionne quintuplets. Born in Ontario, Canada in 1934, the five identical girls are the first quintuplets known to have survived infancy. However, their fame was more of a curse than a blessing: The local government removed the girls from the custody of their parents and turned them into a multimillion-dollar tourist attraction before their first birthday.
Still, we can learn about their tragic story another day. After all, we’re here for the puppies. In 1938, the sisters starred in their third movie, “Five of a Kind,” a fictionalized account of their lives. They were allowed to play with puppies for the first time during filming. Apparently, they had previously “seen the fluffy little fellows only as pictures in their nursery books.” For the girls, it was love at first sight, although the cocker spaniels may not have agreed.
I was unable to find any context about Victory or Flossy, but if you can get past the poor-quality photos, it’s a heartening reminder that even in the animal kingdom, it takes a village.
An early 20th-century photograph from Bethel, Alaska. From the Library of Congress.
Puppies transcend cultures, then and now.
In 1939, Swift & Company, the makers of Pard dog food, ran a contest that would no doubt be just as popular today: naming twin wire fox terrier puppies.
I was able to discover the names of the contest winners—but not the winning names. So, loyal readers, you’re invited to participate in Second Glance History’s first-ever contest. Submit your twin puppy name ideas in the comments below, no purchase necessary. Winners will receive a prize even better than $5,000: my undying gratitude. Good luck!
Disclaimer: The modern era is far from the first to grapple with rampant “fake news.” As I am neither a historian nor journalist, I make no claims about the accuracy or lack thereof of the above historical articles. I assert only that they make for a good story.
Welcome to Second Glance History! This blog seeks to uncover the people and the stories forgotten by history and give them another read through a modern lens. Join me every week as we examine the differences that divide and the common threads that connect the then to the now.
Leave a Reply