COLLECTING MEMORABILIA DOG SHOW LEARNING THE HISTORY OF OUR SPORT WHILE PRESERVING IT BY PAT BULLARD
C ollecting dog show memorabilia started with the search for meaningful gifts for a Maltese regional show that I was working on with a friend. That’s when I caught the “time travel” bug. With each piece that I found, there was more mystery to solve and the research has felt much like time travel for me. It’s not the sterling silver trophies or the fine art that draws my atten- tion. Instead, it’s the bits and pieces of our history—saved by those who came before us—that tell the story of the remembered and treasured moments of dog show history in America.
From candid photos to win photos, letters, tickets, children’s books, magazines of the past, and show cata- logs, the evolution of the sport of purebred dogs in our country is told. Of course, my own breed, the Maltese, is one of my favorite subjects to collect. However, I am also intrigued by the people who started kennel clubs and dog shows. Returning lost history to the all-breed clubs for their archives is part of the joy of collecting. What started as a way to fill a boring afternoon has become a mission and a passion.
Rae with Judge, 1969
Ladies Kennel Club Letter
San Francisco Kennel Club Exhibitor’s Ticket
196 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, SPRING EDITION
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