Pair of Samoyed Puppies on Backyard Patio Table, 1950s

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Pair of Samoyed Puppies on Backyard Patio Table, 1950s — Archive & Atlas

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Pair of Samoyed Puppies on Backyard Patio Table, 1950s — Archive & Atlas

Unattributed 1950–1959

AA-2026-0CE19A

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Someone in the 1950s decided that two Samoyed puppies — breeds whose entire appeal is that they look like animated snowballs — needed to be placed on a patio table and photographed, and they were absolutely right. Samoyeds were a relatively exotic breed in postwar American suburbs, the kind of dog that signaled you had done some research and were not merely settling for a beagle, and owning two at once announced that the household had decided to commit fully to the bit.

The outdoor table belongs to the same aluminum-and-webbing furniture tradition that furnished every backyard patio in America for two decades, the kind that left grid marks on the back of your thighs and rusted attractively by year three. The bowl of apples at the edge was either decoration or snack, and the puppies have already identified which use they prefer.

The two of them sit with the temporary cooperation of animals that have not yet worked out which one is in charge. In about four minutes that negotiation will begin, and the fruit bowl will be the first casualty.

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