[ London Times ]


This newspaper, most correctly known simply as The Times, began publication in 1785 and continues to this day.


The edition of December 4, 1860, carried a rather full report on a livestock and dog exhibition, officially the "Birmingham Cattle and Poultry Show and Exhibition of Dogs" This was not the very first dog show ever held — that happened 18 months earlier, on 28 - 29 June of 1859, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England; that first dog show featured only pointers and setters, and was itself an addition to a long-running cattle show, and was not repeated. This Birmingham show was the first dog show to include non-sporting breeds, and the first to become an annual event. (For a succinct overview of the beginnings of dog shows, check out this article.)

After a lengthy survey of the various species of livestock being exhibited, the writer addresses the canine aspect of the exhibiton:

The contemporaneous novelty of an exhibition of sporting and other dogs cannot be omitted from our report. Under the presidency of Lord Curzon and the management of an influential committee, prizes of large amount are competed for by some 300 dogs. . . .


The writer then goes on to remark on the great diversity evident in the dogs being exhibited:

Viewing the strange diversities in form, capability, and dispositioni of the dogs in this whining, growling, and barking menagerie, we can scarcely admit the doctrine that the animals are merely varieties of one species, and that all have been developed by differences of food, circumstance, and training from a single original pair; or, as some say, are collectively a tamed derivation from the lean and savage wolf.


A substantial account of the sporting breeds is given before attention is given to the non-sporting dogs:

Turning to the other division of the show, we naturally exclaim, can all these marvellously diversified creatures be simply new kinds multiplied from original puppies which accompanied their fallen master out of Paradise, and not from several widely-different pairs which kept watch and order among the heterogeneous denizens of the ark?


We are then treated to a list of breeds, with a quick thumbnail sketch of their most important characteristics; the Newfoundland is described thus:

There is the nobility of the powerful Newfoundland, with his colossal paw — humane saviour of wrecked mariners from the swallowing wave. . . .



Remarking specifically on the exhibited dogs, the writers notes "The mastiffs are a superb class; the black Newfoundlands equally good; the bulldogs repulsive. . . ."

The writer ends the article by noting that the exhibition hall is going to be enlarged for future shows in order "to embrace the new novelty of the dog show. . . ." Wise move — dog shows quickly became hugely popular in Victorian England.






On December 2, 1861, The Times ran an article on the 2nd annual Birmingham show. Most of that article was devoted to the livestock part of the show, but the writer did have this to say about the dog show:

The entries of dogs this year number 525, against 270 in 1860. Every breed enumerated in the prize list is well represented, and the extra classes in the two divisions contain some dogs not often seen in this country. The classes for pointers and setters include many beautiful and valuable animals of those breeds, the class for pointer dogs of a large breed taking the first place as regards numbers, there being not less than 70 competititors. 82 setters are entered; 47 retrievers, 18 Clumber spaniels, and 32 other spaniels used in field sports. The classes for dogs of another character are also generally well filled, especially mastiffs, Newfoundlands, and terriers.



The 2nd annual show was also reported on by Sporting Magazine, in its January, 1862, issue, and also had very little to say about the Newfs: "The Newfoundland winner looked underbred to our mind; and the second, although worse in his coat, had a head which for style nearly defied Druid himself" (10).






An article in The Times on December 1, 1862, reports on the 3rd annual Birmingham show. Again the vast majority of the article reveals the show's agricultural roots, for most of it is about the exhibitions of livestock, root vegetables, poultry, and agricultural implements. The final few paragraphs are devoted to "this grand show of dogs," and notes that the entry of the previous year, given here as 535 although the prior year's article gave 525, has now increased to 645 dogs. Sporting dogs get most of the attention, though in a review of the other breeds there is mention of "the curly-lock coat of a Newfoundland." There were 17 Newfoundlands entered in this show, one of the largest non-sporting entries.






The November 30, 1863, edition of The Times carried a report on the 4th annual Birmingham show, again mostly focused on the livestock but a brief survey of the dog show entries contained the following passing mention of the Newfoundlands: "the Newfoundlands are fine."






From the November 28, 1864, edition of The Times comes the following report on the 5th annual Birmingham show, a four-day event which saw over 61,500 visitors, "including 33,500 of the 'working classes' admitted by cheap tickets furnished to the master manufacturers." As you can see, early dog shows had a definite snob factor going on....

As before, most of the article is devoted to a review of the livestock exhibited at the show; the dogs are discusseed in only 2 brief paragraphs, though the reporter notes that "The fifth annual exhibition of Dogs is decidedly the largest and best; and the prize list has risen to 700£...." The Newfoundlands are referred to twice, and only briefly:


Retrievers are for the first time divided into classes, for the "curly" coated (partaking of the Irish water-spaniel character) and for small and "wavy" coated (more like the Labrador or small Newfoundland breed).


The water spaniels and, indeed, the spaniels of all classes, are of extremely great merit, far surpassing their appearance last year. Mastiffs and Newfoundlands are very fine. . . .






The December 4, 1865, edition of The Times reported on the 6th annual Birmingham show, which featured lower numbers of livestock entered, and plenty of additional no-shows, owing to a disease epidemic among livestock in England, the so-called "Cattle Plague" of 1865 - 1867, also known as "Rinderpest," that ultimately lead to the deaths of a quarter of a million cattle, and bans on the importing of English cattle in many European countries. Rinderpest was finally eradicated in 2001.

As with previous years' discussions of the exhibition, the dogs are discussed only after the livestock and agricultural parts of the show. The few paragraphs given to discussion of the dog show are devoted principally to sporting breeds; all other breeds merit brief mention in half a paragraph, with the Newfoundlands referenced only briefly and vaguely:

Thee is a splendid show of bulls and bull-terriers, of Newfoundlands, St. Bernards, and toy terriers. . . . The show is altogether by far the best we have ever seen.






The December 3, 1866, edition of The Times reported on the 7th annual Birmingham show which, like the show of the previous year, had far fewer livestock entries due to the continuing rinderpest epidemic. Again the dogs are discussed only after lengthy treatment of the livestock and farm animals, and the Newfoundlands are barely mentioned: "The Newfoundlands are hardly as fine as usual...."





The 8th annual Birmingham show was reported on in the December 2, 1867, edition of The Times. While still experiencing a smaller entry of cattle due to the continuing rinderpest outbreak, the show was considered succesful and profitable, the reporter notes, and as always much of the first part of the article is devoted to the livestock and agricultural aspect of the show. Yet the dog show "keeps up its character on its eighth anniversary as still unequalled in the kingdom." This year's report has little to say about the different breeds in general, instead devoting a great deal of space to identifying the winning dog and owner for multiple breeds. The only reference to Newfoundlands is that the first prize for the breed went "to Mr. S. Atkinson's 'Cato.'"


(Cato was so successful in the show ring — see below for another mention of one of his wins — that he was particularly singled out for mention in Rawdon Briggs Lee's 1894 work A History and Description of the Modern Dogs of Great Britain and Ireland. (Non-sporting division), discussed here at The Cultured Newf. He also gets special notice in a 1917 breed column in Dogdom magazine. Cato, it turns out, was not just a show dog: he once rescued his owner and another person from drowning.)





The Times reported on the 9th annual Birmingham dog show (1868), but the canine exhibition merited only 2 brief paragraphs, with no mention at all of Newfoundlands.





The Times report, published on November 29, 1869, on the Birmingham show — the 10th annual show to include dogs — reports that while "the tenth annual exhibition of sporting and other dogs is quite up to the standard of any previous occasion," the Newfoundlands didn't fare quite as well: "The Newfoundlands are not so meritorious as usual."





The November 28, 1870, edition of The Times carried the report on the 11th annual Birmingham dog show, noting that the entry of dogs this year was 864, about 100 more than the previous year, and that 150 entries were turned away due to lack of space. No specific mention was made of the Newfoundland entry.





On November 28, 1871, The Times carried its report on the 12th annual Birmingham dog exhibition, with this one being notable for the fact the dog show part of the exhibition was, for the first time, discussed in a separate — and relatively lengthy — article rather than being, as had been the case up until now, relegated to a few brief paragraphs following lengthy discussions of the livestock exhibit, the poultry exhibit, the roots and vegetables exhibit, etc.

Nine hundred dogs were entered in this show, with some 200 more being denied entry due to some (unspecified) error in completing the entry form. The discussion of sporting breeds takes up most of the article; the Newfoundlands are mentioned only as regards the winning dog and bitch: "The prize for Newfoundlands was awarded to the Rev. S. Atkinson's splendid and justly celebrated dog Cato, Mr. S. Nicholl's Grace Darling taking that in the bitch class.





The December 2, 1872 edition of The Times featured a return to the previous pattern of presenting a lengthy discussion of the more "agricultural" aspects of the 13th annual Birmingham dog show, with the discussion of dogs relegated to the final few paragraphs. As with the previous year, there were more than 900 dogs entered, with an unspecified number denied entry due, again, to entry form errors. The author of this report finds that fortuitous, noting that the exhibition hall was over-crowded with the 900 entries.

Characteristically, most of the report's attention was focused on sporting breeds; Newfoundlands are mentioned, as they were the previous year, only in regard to the awarding of prizes: "The best of the Newfoundland dogs were Captain Molyneux's Prince and Mr. Gurdon's Monarch, but no first prize was awarded in the bitch class."





The Times reported on the 14th Annual Birmingham Dog Show in the edition of December 2, 1873, and did so in characteristic fashion. Opening general remarks on the show overall were quite positive:


From the number of entries, and, what is still more important, from their unusual excellence, there can be no doubt that the Show will be more successful than any of its predecessors.



The Newfoundlands were mentioned in the usual way: "The best of the Newfoundland dogs were Mr. Stacey's Tiger, who has a magnificent head, and Mr. Bowman's Carlo; Mr Ede's Nell and Mr. Hirst's Tweed being first and second in the female class."


It is interesting to note that the name "Carlo," surely taken from the famous 1803 play The Caravan, which featured a Newfoundland jumping into a vat of water onstage, continues to have currency in the Newfie world.





The 15th Annual Birmingham Dog Show was featured in the edition of December 1, 1874. Over 1,000 dogs were exhibited, though the space was intended to hold only 600; over 200 entries were denied due to lack of space.

The mention of Newfoundlands was perfunctory: "The classes of Newfoundlands were small, but rather above the average in quality, Mr. Woodall's Hector and Mr. Skidmore's Jack being first and second in the dog class, and Mr. Bowman's liver and white Gipsy and Mr. Edward Farquharson's Sally first and second in the bitch class."


"Liver and white" ??!






The 16th Annual Birmingham Dog Show was reported on in The Times of December 1, 1875. The show's popularity continues to grow: 1,000 dogs were shown (in a space designed to accommodate 600), and "several hundred" entries had to be denied due to lack of space.

The Newfoundlands were mentioned as follows: "Mr. H. S. Woodall's Hero was the first and Mr. Nichol's Bruin second in the Newfoundland Dog Class, Mr. Shaw's Nell and Mr. Millar's Juno occuping the same positions in the other class."





The 17th Annual Birmingham Dog Show was written up in The Times on December 16, 1876. The reporter noted there were just about 1,000 dogs, and although "the National Dog Show has kept up its reputation as one of the best managed in the Kingdom . . . from want of space the dogs are still too closely crowded together."

The Newfoundlands did not come off too well this year: "The Newfoundlands were a most indifferent class, and the first prize went to Mr. Coates's Leo and the second to Sir Beaumont Dixie's Bruin, neither of them being of the true breed, a remark appliable to Mr. Coats's Gipsey and Mr. Bowman's Gipsy, who were first and second among the bitches."





The 18th Annual Birmingham Dog Show was covered in The Times on December 4, 1877. Under 1,000 dogs were entered in this year's show.

The Newf judging played out this way: "Mr. Mapplebeck's well-known Leo took the prize for Newfoundland dogs; Mr. Wildman's Lion, a son of his, being second; and among the other six Mr. Mapplebeck was again first by aid of Gipsy, and second with Brunette."










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