For The Love of Dogs

And Photography

A while ago, my Dad gave me a box of photos that he had been given when my Grandmother died.

Now, you must understand that my Grandmother was one of my favorite people in the world, and I didn’t get to spend enough time with her because we lived almost 2 hours apart. She was a force to be reckoned with. This photo is her, in 1944. A rebel, if you ask me. Look at her! Bikini top, rolled up jeans and tennis shoes, while driving a boat. So much sass in this photo. I am sure she had been out fishing (because she loved fishing) but the thing about this photo that really gets to me is the big stick next to her. Guess who else carries sticks around?

This photo is my Grandfather, also taken in 1944. He grew up in an orphanage in Detroit with his siblings, post WWII. He was tough as nails, but also very sweet. He was resourceful, funny and loved my Grandma. He loved to tend to his garden and his chickens and loved fishing.

My grandparents always had dogs. Ever since I can remember, they had Toy Poodles. In order, consecutively, they lived with Chi-Chi, Choo-Choo, Fi-Fi, and Foo-Foo. I believe these names had something to do with my Grandmother having some French Canadian heritage in her. Anway, none of the dogs really liked kids, and always hid under the kitchen table. I remember thinking they must be lonely under there, all alone, and I made it my mission to befriend each one of these dogs. And I did! I recall that my grandparents fed the dogs Gaines Burgers. Do you remember those? Ugh. They did not smell good, but the dogs loved them and it was the key to me winning them over. Sometimes, when my parents would go on vacation sans children, I would spend a week with my grandparents and whichever dog they had at the time. Those are some of my favorite memories.

My Grandmother’s mom also loved dogs, but she preferred Pomeranians. She named every one of them Fancy, so she became “Fancy Grandma” to me. So, the love of dogs goes way back in my family. I only remember the little dogs, though.

Imagine my surprise when I found a photo of a northern breed dog in the photo album. His name is Chinook, according to the writing on the back of the photo. He was five weeks old when this photo was taken.

I don’t remember him at all, but he may have been before my time. What gets me about this picture is the way my Grandpa’s hand is so gently placed under Chinook’s cheek. Melts my heart. My grandparents taught me a lot about dogs and I carry those things with me to this day. For instance, they used to tell the dogs “do your business” when they would send them outside to, you know….do their business. I still say this. I even used this phrase in my pet sitting business with my clients. The phrase lives on, as does the passion for dogs.

And photography, apparently! In this box of photo albums and old pictures, I found the portfolio of a wedding/portrait photographer from the late 1930s - early 1940s. Some of the portraits are in color, but most are black and white. I don’t know who the photographer was, but it was someone I’m related to. They took great care posing their subjects and framing their photos. But here’s the cool part… they took photos of dogs as well.

With nearly 80 years between us, this person and I share a passion for dogs and photography. I’ll never know who this person was, where they lived, what they loved or any other information because no one in my family seems to know. I wonder if they would be unhappy about this? I wish I could reassure them that their passions live on in me; that I have their photos and am treating them with loving care and not only do I look at them, I wonder about the person behind the camera.

I’m not really into geneology or have that drive to know about my family’s history. I’ve never created a family tree or done a DNA deep dive. I really wasn’t that interested.

But….

You know that question people ask…if you could have lunch with anyone in the world, living or dead, who would it be? My answer used to be Jon Bon Jovi because he has the work ethic of a working dog and I’d love to talk about work with him.

Now, my answer is whoever this person was that created the portfolio that sits on my nightstand.

If I still lived in Michigan and had access to the locations of the photos in this mysterious photographer’s portfolio, I think I would re-create the photos they created. Most of them were taken in Detroit and some of them were taken in the Upper Penisula. I know this because I recognize some of the land marks. I’ve been to some of those places.

How cool would it be to follow in the footsteps of the mystery photographer and see the world the way that they did? The photos would be different, of course, because so much time has passed, but to stand in the exact spot and look through the lens of my camera just as my mysterious photographer ancestor did in the 1930s and 40s would be an incredible way to connect to the past. No DNA website could offer that.

Would you do it, if you could?