Prince and Other Dogs, 1850-1940 [Hardcover]

Libby Hall (Compiler)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 20, 2000

A stunning and original compendium of photographs starring dogs and their owners.

Prince is a beautiful collection of Victorian photographs of dogs posing with and without their loving owners. Charming and strangely moving, these photographs defy conventional expectations. Seemingly a random assortment-the photographs were rescued by the author from a junkshop-they gradually assume a sense of meaning, as if there were a story being told with every picture.

Both hilarious and poignant, Prince and Other Dogs is the ideal gift for anyone who loves dogs.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

I believe these photographs are a testimony to the extraordinary relationship that can exist between dogs and people: dogs that you know were loved companions of people living on their own, dogs that were included in photographs as important members of a family or group.

Some of the photographs are hilarious (how often it really is true that dogs look like their owners!) and some I find incredibly moving. These are the ones, taken in areas like the East End of London, where the price of the photograph would have represented a substantial part of the owner's weekly income. Often these dogs are grey in the muzzle and you imagine that time to capture their likeness was running out.

But, funny or sad, for me these frozen moments capture, not only the passion we can have for dogs, but also the fleeting transience of life: dogs' lives are poignantly short - so too are people's.

The book is book is dedicated to the people and dogs in the photographs.

About the Author

A former press photographer, Libby Hall began collecting dog photographs in the 1960s. Her first book Prince and Other Dogs is published by Bloomsbury. She lives in London.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 124 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA; First Edition edition (October 20, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582340978
• ISBN-13: 978-1582340975
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 4.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #342,063 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Prince: And Other Gods, March 16, 2001

By 

Eileen Galen (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prince and Other Dogs, 1850-1940 (Hardcover)

This remarkable book - a hoard of amazing dog postcards - deserves all the praise it has earned, including the compiler's own enthusiastic words. The photographs themselves form a true treasure trove that can't help but enchant dog lovers and fans of Victorian photography. There is more, however, that makes this book so good. For starters, Libby Hall contributes a brief and egoless Introduction - how she started this collection, what it means to her, and why she wants to share it. Perfect. Then there are the postcards, reproduced in their original sepia tones, and captionless - as they should be.

What about the dogs? Hardly a leash on these dogs (I counted only two). The dogs sit on tables, chairs, laps, in baby carriages. In one card, a little boy sits on his dog. Women with their dogs. Men in a group, with a dog. Embarrassment of riches: one man poses beside his wife and dog, with his parrot on his shoulder. The canine faces stay with you for a long time. This is a gem of a book. It's always a real treat when a collector can curate well, too. The simple act of restraint - of not captioning these photographs, which wisely enables the viewer to wordlessly experience these dogs and people - transforms this sweet and humble collection into something great.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LITTLE DOG LOST, January 31, 2002

By 

PoppyTrail (Dallas, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prince and Other Dogs, 1850-1940 (Hardcover)

Little Dog Lost...but now is FOUND. These Victorian photographs haven't been viewed for 100 years. When I was looking at them I felt like these little dogs were lost and I had found them in Libby Hall's book and they live on. Every page has a wonderful, beloved, beautiful dog who's face is saying "love me". I have several Victorian photo and ephemera books but "Libby Hall's Prince" is the one to get! Don't pass on this book!

I like the way this book is presented, too. The photographs fit the pages. There isn't much commentary, just the fascinating photographs. I thank Libby Hall for putting this book together and I hope that if she finds more photographs that she won't hesitate to do another book. She has preserved these photos for all to see and they will be cherished.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfection, and a Must for Jack Owners, December 9, 2000

By 

Paul Frandano (Reston, Va. USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Prince and Other Dogs, 1850-1940 (Hardcover)

This handsomely mounted compilation is perfect of its kind. What we have here are images of mutual devotion--dogs and owners--that also neatly capture their respective eras. Ms. Hall's collection is a joy to repeatedly visit and has delighted everyone with whom I've shared it. It is, moreover, not simply for dog lovers; it's enough to have the "old photograph fancy," because every picture here tells a rich tale and has great period detail. Nevertheless, doggie people--and, in particular, the host of Jack Russell Terrier folk--will cherish this book for a lifetime. (Many of the pictures in this collection are of Jacks of every body type and coat. And one of Ms. Hall's old pictures captures what I am, ah, certain is a British ancestor of my own fuzzy Jack.) I predict "Prince: And Other Dogs..." will be in print for a long, long time; those fortunate enough to discover it will buy numerous copies and hand them out liberally. Finally, Prince and Other Dogs is a fabulous bargain, attractively bound, fitting nicely in the hand, with photographs lovingly reproduced on heavy paper. An ideal gift.