We are counting-down the last of the "Dog Days of Summer"—a forty day period scheduled to end on 11 August. To commemorate these waning days of Summer, we'd like to share some of our favorite "canines" from the LEO Design collection. Consider sending one as a gift to your favorite dog lover.
Scotties—formally called Scottish Terriers or Aberdeen Terriers—were developed in Scotland as "ratters"—dogs bred to capture and kill rats around the home or on a farm. The first reference to them was in literature published in 1432. In the Seventeenth Century, English painter Joshua Reynolds included a Scottie in a portrait of a young girl.
In America, Scotties grew in popularity during the first third of the Twentieth Century. In the Twenties and Thirties, many famous world leaders and Hollywood celebrities had Scotties: Queen Victoria, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, Julie Andrews. The most famous Scottie of all was Fala, the beloved pet of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and George W. Bush each owned Scotties.
These Art Deco cast aluminum bookends, from the Thirties or Forties, were made at the zenith of the Scottie craze in America. They are handsome and scream Art Deco. Click on the photo above to learn more about them.
More Dog Day items to come, tomorrow and over the following days.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248