You might have noticed that we’re suckers for animal photography here at Flavorpill. Animals bring none of the self-consciousness and baggage that a human brings to the process of being photographed, and as such, there’s an argument that they make for perfect models (so long as you can get them to sit still, of course). Anyway, people have been photographing their animals since the earliest days of the camera, and it turns out that the Kennel Club in the UK has a treasure trove of vintage dog photos in their archive. A selection of these images were brought out into the public eye this week for a new exhibition in London, and the Kennel Club were kind enough to share some of them with us. They’re fascinating viewing, whether they’re pictures of animals in strangely formal poses (a dog in a top hat! With a pipe!), photographic experiments (a dog surrounded by mirrors!) or just intimate shots of people with their best friends. Take a look after the jump.
Photo credit: Statham Cook collection
Photo credit: Libby Hall collection
Photo credit: Libby Hall collection
Photo credit: Statham Cook collection
Crufts, 1950. Photo credit: Kennel Club archive
Photo credit: Libby Hall collection
Photo credit: Kennel Club archive
Photo credit: Libby Hall collection
Photo credit: Statham Cook collection
Crufts, 1957. Photo credit: Kennel Club archive
All images courtesy of the UK Kennel Club. If you happen to be over the other side of the Atlantic during the next few months, the exhibition is on until 13 January 2012 at the Kennel Club Art Gallery in Mayfair, London.