Brittany Spaniel in Suburban Backyard, 1950s

Archive & AtlasEstablished · MMXXIII

Brittany Spaniel in Suburban Backyard, 1950s — Archive & Atlas

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Brittany Spaniel in Suburban Backyard, 1950s — Archive & Atlas

Unattributed 1950–1959

AA-2026-E63440

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Sitting at attention in a well-kept American backyard, this brown-and-white Brittany spaniel has the composed, slightly distracted posture of a dog who has been told to stay and is technically complying. The 1950s were the decade when the Brittany spaniel completed its climb from specialist hunting dog to suburban family companion, helped along by the AKC's energetic promotion of the breed as the ideal sporting dog for a man who wanted to feel outdoorsy without leaving the county.

The white clapboard siding behind him and the manicured lawn beneath him are as diagnostic of the era as the dog itself — the postwar American home presented its backyard as evidence of industry and correct living, and a well-groomed dog sitting in a weed-free lawn was exactly the kind of proof the neighborhood required. Someone stood at the back door with a camera, confident this moment was worth preserving.

The dog is looking at something off to the left with total conviction, which means the picture the owner actually wanted — the dog looking at the camera — was probably the next frame.

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