Dogs on Matches -- June 2009
When man first started printing advertisements on matchbooks in the late
1890s, it was inevitable his “best friend” would also soon
appear on the matchcovers. And appear they did. Although the
first image of a dog on a matchbook has not officially been documented,
it’s safe to assume it was early on.
In 1924, Diamond Match Company first issued sets of matchbooks designed
by William Homer Colgate in the Colgate Studios, a division of Diamond
Match. Many
of the Colgate sets feature dogs, oftentimes a playful Scottish Terrier. The
most popular of the Colgate matchbooks were the Bridge Sets, which have the
rules for Contract Bridge printed on the insides. The majority of the
sets also have production information printed on the insides, making them
easy for collectors to date. Colgate matches were typically packaged
and sold in colorful, die-cut cardboard containers, though they were sometimes
packaged in cellophane. In addition to matchbooks, tallies and matching
playing cards would also sometimes be available for purchase.
William Colgate and other studio artists designed the vast majority of the
Colgate sets; however, a few sets were designed by other famous artists of
the time. For example, Colgate Design No. 0028, “Throw A Stick,” first
issued in 1938, shows a clear signature by artist Morgan Dennis on the front
panels of each matchcover in the set, while Colgate Design No. 132, “Hide ‘n
Seek,” issued in 1940, has a much less obvious Dennis signature above
the striker on the fourth cover in the set. Artist Lucy Dawson designed
Colgate Design No. 1699, “Mac,” which was issued in 1937. (Incidentally,
Dawson also often signed her artwork as “Mac.”)
Artwork of famed dog-portrait artist, Constance Depler-Coleman, sometimes
also signed as “Connie,” appears on a whimsical set of four matchcovers
from the 1950s titled “Personality Pups.” Each matchcover
bears both the “Connie” and “Constance Depler” signatures. Another
piece of Depler artwork, “Bar Hounds,” has been reproduced on
a “full-length” matchcover from Playboy Lounge in Denver, Colorado.
Mural-sized prints of Depler’s “Bar Hounds” painting were
a favorite in bars and cocktail lounges of the 1950s. Bar napkins,
figurines, ashtrays, drinking mugs, and salt and pepper shakers of the dogs
depicted in the painting were also produced. An incomplete lineup of
the “Bar Hounds” dogs (the three dogs on the right are missing)
has been loosely depicted on another matchcover from an establishment called
Carousel.
Etchings dating from the 1930s depicting unusual and sometimes risqué humor
are often attributed to artist Vinzento Zito or “Zito” as he
signed his work. Starting as a street artist, Zito sought commissions
sketching people, animals, and buildings. In the mid-1930s, Zito began
to portray dogs and their playful characteristics. His first attempts
at painting dogs were made by discreetly incorporating them into human portraits. Eventually,
he made them more prominent by painting them into the foreground, and it
wasn’t long before dogs were the main subjects of his work.
In 1936, Zito collaborated with Hy Ken, the creator of “Dog Follies”,
to create the book “Dogs by Zito.” Produced in a
spiral-bound, softcover format, the drawings were captioned by Ken. The
book was an instant success, followed by a series of “screamingly funny” and “beautifully
colored” cards of the forty-five drawings in the book. The full
set of forty-five cards was advertised on matchcovers copyrighted 1939, for
fifty cents postpaid. A similar series of matchcovers, also copyrighted
1939, advertise Hy Ken’s “Dog Follies” book for the same
price.
With a heavy-duty durable truck to advertise, what better way to convey toughness
than by picturing a tenacious bulldog? In fact, Mack trucks were bestowed
their famous Bulldog trademark during World War I when the British government
purchased the Mack AC to supply its front lines with troops, food, and equipment. British
soldiers dubbed the truck “Bulldog Mack,” as its blunt-nosed
hood, coupled with its incredible durability, reminded the soldiers of the
qualities attributed to their country’s mascot, the English Bulldog. Not
surprisingly, the United States Marines also adopted the Bulldog as their
mascot.
In 1936, the Calo Dog Food Company issued a series of matchcovers challenging
their customers to collect the series with fifty breeds of dogs printed on
the insides. 
In reality, only six breeds are known to have been printed:
the Scottish Terrier, Boston Terrier, Samoyed, Cocker Spaniel, English Setter,
and Wirehaired Fox Terrier.
In the late 1930s, match companies began issuing “stock” sets
of matchcovers that were available through their sales catalogs. Stock
sets typically consist of five to twelve different designs, usually with
the pre-printed designs on the back panel of the matchcover, reserving the
front panel for the custom-printed advertising. With stock sets, all
of the designs pertain to a particular subject matter, and one of the most-collected
and best-documented categories of stock designs are the “girlie” matchcovers.
“Girlie” sets are a category in which the artwork consists of scantily
clad (and sometimes topless or even naked) women. “Girlie” sets
were issued in groups of four to twelve designs, and Superior Match Company
issued the first “girlie” set in 1938. Match companies recruited
famous artists like Elvgren, Petty, and Vargas to design their “girlie” sets,
and they often painted a precocious pooch playfully interacting with the pretty
lady. There are thought to be about fifty-five American “girlie” sets,
twenty-six of which contain designs that picture dogs. There is only
one “girlie” set, by Arrow Match Company (circa 1950), in which
all five designs in the set picture dogs.
“Americana” stock sets picture pastoral scenes of small-town America
often including children interacting with a dog. Several different match
companies, beginning in the 1930s, issued “Purebred Dog” stock
sets, which typically picture five popular breeds. “Hillbilly” stock
sets first appeared in 1948 by artist Martin Garrity, issued by Chicago Match
Company, and feature hillbilly-related humor. The designs in the sets
sometimes picture a groggy or growling hound dog. “Cartoon” stock
cuts, a few picturing dogs, were also popular in the 30s, 40s, and 50s for
printing on the back panels or insides of matchcovers.
Armed with an arsenal of sizes, shapes, and other “gimmicks,” the
match industry virtually exploded during World War II when it was first mandated
that a book of matches be given with every pack of cigarettes sold. Competition
between the match companies was fierce, and some of the finest, most colorful,
and collectible matchbooks were produced during this time and into the 1960s.
During World War II, the Pepsi-Cola Company issued a set of forty-eight numbered
matchbooks that have Disney-designed characters printed on the front panel
with each matchbook representing a different military unit. The sets
were manufactured by D.D. Bean & Sons and sold through two drugstore
chains throughout the U.S. The “Disney-Pepsi set,” as it’s
known, has two matchcovers that picture canine mascots. Another patriotic
set of twenty matchbooks was designed by the Disney Studios and manufactured
by Maryland Match Company in 1942. Again, each matchcover represents
a different military unit, with only one of the matchcovers in this set picturing
a dog. In 1976, to commemorate our nation’s Bicentennial, Disneyland
issued a patriotically themed matchcover picturing Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck,
and our favorite Disney dog, Goofy. Around the same time, Walt Disney
World in Orlando issued a matchcover for their Tony’s Town Square Restaurant
picturing Lady and Tramp.
Gift shops at many tourist attractions used to either give away matchbooks
to their visitors, or 
sell them as souvenirs. “Specializing in
Roosevelt Mementos and Gifts,” it’s no wonder the matchbook from
the Hyde Park Gift Shop bears a likeness of FDR’s beloved Fala.
The biggest of the matchbooks, measuring an impressive 3¼”x
4¼”, is the Giant™ matchbook produced by Lion Match Company
beginning in 1936, perhaps earlier. Hallmark, the greeting card company,
manufactured matches at one time, including their version of the Giant™,
some of which also doubled as greeting cards. On the opposite end of
the match size spectrum, the smallest is the diminutive Midget™ matchbook
which was produced from 1934 to 1943, first by Lion Match Company, then by
Ohio and Diamond match companies. Designed to better fit into women’s
handbags of the era which were being made more compact at the time, Midgets
are highly collectable in the hobby of match collecting, especially in full-book
form. A few even have printing on their tiny matchsticks.
Over the years, match companies designed narrower, wider, and odd-shaped
matchbooks. They made them oversized and undersized and with different
surface finishes and textures. Lion Match Company seemed to be the
leader in this marketing strategy as it came up with many different trademarks
for its spectacular line of products. The Lion “Feature™” matchbook
not only has wider matchsticks, but also has printing on the matchsticks. The “Display™” matchbook,
sometimes called a “pop-up,” has a die-cut tab of cardboard
glued on the inside of the matchcover which offered extra advertising space
or a place for an image of the product being advertised. Combining
the “Feature™” and the “Display™” packed
a very powerful advertising punch.
From the start, unlike magazine and newspaper advertising, the biggest challenge
for the matchbook artist was to effectively convey the advertisers’ message
within a very small space. For decades, dogs have been pictured on
matchbooks and matchboxes to advertise a wide variety of places, products,
and services. Dogs appeal to our sense of loyalty and our sense of
trust; they represent toughness, strength, and security. And, dogs
are cute – and let’s face it, cute sells.
Dogs of the North - 2009
Dogs of the North opens
in The AKC Museum of the Dog’s Special Exhibit Gallery at the end of February. This special
presentation features more than thirty-five black and white photographs including
several by the well-known photographer Jim Brown, the official Iditarod photographer
for many years. Also included are photographs of sled dogs at work,
equipment such as sleds and harnesses, and a color lithograph entitled Siberian
Husky – 90 Years in North America by the American artist Jo Lynn,
celebrating the history of the Siberian Husky, as well as a pair of limited
edition color lithographs dated 1982 by Fred Machetanz.
A retrospective exhibition chronicling the work of Machetanz
was presented at the Anchorage Museum of History and Art in June 2004. The
exhibit outlined the artist’s valuable contributions to Alaskan art and
also highlighted his importance as a unique American painter and illustrator.
The pair of limited edition color lithographs in the Museum’s collection
was a gift of Mill Pond Press, Inc.
Sled dogs have one of the longest histories of any breed
and were said to have accompanied the earliest people when they crossed the
land bridge from Siberia to North America. These dogs were the workhorses
of primitive man.
In today’s world there are still many areas where
the sled dog is the prime means of transportation. Snow machines have replaced
many of the dogs but, in bitterly cold weather, snow machines break down while
the dogs keep going.
The legacy of sled dogs as working dog and companion is
special in the human/canine relationship and certainly to be admired even by
individuals who have not had the unique opportunity of living and working in
the Alaskan frontier.
Dogs of the North is available to visitors through
May.
Hundreds of tons of snow are hauled into Anchorage so that the first few miles of the Iditarod can be run through the city’s downtown area, giving spectators a good look at the competitors as they begin their journey, black and white photograph by Jim Brown,Collection AKC Museum of the Dog
Buddy and Starlet, Winward Kennels, owned by Diana Edwards of St. Louis, Missouri
Uno Gala Fantastico!
September 20, 2008
Cocktails with Uno, Ch. K-Run’s Park Me In First,
the 132nd winner of the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club All-B
reed
Dog Show, the first Beagle ever to win Best In Show at Westminster,
highlighted a fabulous gala reception at The AKC Museum of the Dog in September.
Although misty weather and a slight risk of rain was the forecast for day,
nothing could dampen the high spirit of the evening’s events that included
more than one hundred fifty attendees who gathered to remember and honor
Mr. Donald Danforth, Jr.
Cocktails with Uno was followed by dinner in The Constellation
Room where a special exhibit featured a selection of outstanding paintings
from The AKC Museum of the Dog’s permanent collection. Also featured
were the iconic carousel figure of a mastiff, Queen, and a mixed-media
sculpture of an Afghan Hound by the artist DeDe LaRue.
The evening’s program began with an introduction by committee
co-chairman Mary Lee Hermann with additional remarks given by former St.
Louis County Supervisor Gene McNary; current St. Louis County Executive Charlie
A. Dooley; and Museum Chairman Gilbert S.
Kahn. Mr. Danforth was an early
supporter and outstanding board member of the Museum, and he was lovingly
remembered by his brothers Dr. William H.
Danforth and Senator John C. Danforth who offered remarks on Don’s
life and 
his
numerous achievements.
Donald Danforth was the founder of Kennelwood Village, St. Louis’s
premiere canine service center, offering the best in dog training, day
camp, state-of-the-art boarding facilities, and grooming.
Chairman Gilbert S. Kahn
David Frei, Westminster’s director
of communications and longtime co-host of USA Network’s live telecast
of the show, rounded out the evening with a stupendous speech on Uno’s
grand success as one of Westminster’s most popular Best In Show winners.
Since his impressive win in February, Uno has traveled across
the country as a canine ambassador of goodwill. In addition to meeting President
George W. Bush at the White House as well as the governor of Texas, Uno’s
celebrity schedule has had this beloved Beagle visiting the Ronald McDonald
House in New York City and St. Louis and throwing out the first pitch at
the Cardinals vs. Brewers baseball game in St. Louis in August.
A Certified Therapy Dog, Uno also helped to open the new Danforth
Student Center at Washington University in St. Louis.
Other canine guests making an appearance at Uno Gala Fantastico included
the Dalmatian Form
ation
Drill Team of St. Louis proudly presented
by eight
members of Spot Savers Rescue and Educational Program. Greeting guests
as they arrived at the Museum were June Brennan-Mueller with Nel, Janice
Boyanchek with BB, Phillip Rauch with Dan, Gaye Absher with Ragan, Claire
Langley with Ami, Mary Zeis with Turbo, Jeannine Navratil with Jolly, and
Ginger Friedhoff with Barbie. One guest was quoted as saying she had never
been made to feel more welcome!
Cornelia Green of St. Louis presented Bidelia, her charming Standard
Poodle, and Matt Koch of Kennelwood Village was in attendance with his canine
companion, Torch, a Belgian Tervuren. Museum Assistant Kristen Wieland’s
Chihuahuas, Jasmine and Tuff Guy, greeted guests in the admissions hall.
Museum Assistant Linda Neukirch and her canine companion,
Chloe, happily greeted visitors in the Gift Shop. Museum Director Barbara
McNab and her husband, Huntley, proudly showed off their two Cavalier King
Charles Spaniels, Dapper Dan and Beau.
(You couldn’t miss the cavaliers as they were the two giving everyone
kisses.)
The Danforth family is well known for having founded Ralston Purina,
and Donald Danforth, Jr., was also known for his love of and passion for
collecting nineteenth century art of the Plains tribes. A public showing
of his extensive collection was held at The Saint Louis Art Museum in 2006.
He is fondly remembered for his leadership and invaluable contributions
to The AKC Museum of the Dog.
Corporate sponsorship in support of Uno Gala Fantastico includes
contributions given by Build-A-Bear Workshop and Nestlé Purina PetCare
Company. The AKC Museum of the Dog kindly thanks James and Mary Dierberg
of St. Louis for a gift donation of wine provided by Hermannhof Winery of
Hermann, Missouri, and also acknowledges Mrs. James B. Orthwein for a gift
of table sweets by Sweet Picks Pastries.
Artists’ Registry
Exhibition: June 1st
through August,
31, 2008
Judith Jarcho / Sally M. Berner / Jennifer Leong
In 1993, the Dog Museum
began presenting special exhibits showcasing canine art by members of The
Artists’ Registry. The
Artists’ Registry is a biographical listing of artists available by
commission for dog portraits or dog-related art. Within the past fifteen
years, more than two hundred artists from the United States and Canada have
participated in exhibits at the Museum.
The Sixth Artists’ Registry Exhibition features
more than thirty works of art by Judith Jarcho of San Diego, California; Sally
M. Berner of Green Bay, Wisconsin; and Jennifer Leong of Pasadena, California.
Judith Jarcho says that she has been an artist all her life. She
received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Minneapolis College of Art and
Design and while earning an Art Education teaching degree, Jarcho took classes
from the well-known American artist Wolf Kahn. Like Kahn, vibrant colors
are integral to Jarcho’s canvases; color and brilliance are inseparable
in Jarcho’s work. Bright red, a great color for energy and intensity,
is the background for both Sumo Times 3 and Molly in Red.
Sumo Times 3 is composed of three individual canvases,
each four feet by four feet. Molly in Red is also four feet
by four feet.
Jarcho recalls her journey toward canine portraiture started in
New York City’s Upper East Side. She wanted to capture in art and
photography the dog walkers who are out early in the morning. Jim Buck,
a famous dog walker in New York City, allowed Jarcho to photograph him on several
occasions while the artist was visiting the city. The large work came a bit
later when Jarcho met Molly one summer in East Hampton. Molly was the
largest Greyhound the artist had ever seen, and she felt the size of the painting
should match the dog’s stature.
Sumo Times 3 was inspired by Kuma, the family’s
first Akita. Jarcho’s children picked their favorite poses for the triptych.
The artist has been represented in twenty-three exhibitions, most
recently a one-woman show at the Brenda Taylor Gallery in New York City. Jarcho’s
paintings have also been on exhibit in several juried competitions including
exhibits held at the Parrish Art Museum, South Hampton, New York, and the San
Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, California.
Sally M. Berner is a member of Oil Painters of America,
Worldwide Nature Artists Group, and American Woman Artists. She is also
an Associate Member of the Society of Animal Artists. Berner grew up
in a small town in Wisconsin with Lake Michigan in her backyard and the beauty
of Door County less than an hour away. Her love for nature and animals
has led her to concentrate on painting landscapes, wildlife, and, of course,
dogs. Canine portraits are her passion. Berner was recently represented
with her superb painting of a Foxhound in the traveling exhibition Paws & Reflect:
Art of Canines, which was presented at nine locations in the United States.
She regularly submits work to The Art Show at The Dog Show,
a national juried art competition sponsored by the Sunflower Cluster Clubs
in Wichita, Kansas and has had work accepted in this event nine times. Berner
received The Art Show at The Dog Show First Place Award in the category of
oil and acrylic painting in 2002.
She is further represented in numerous private collections
as well as several permanent collections including Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art
Museum, Wausau, Wisconsin; Neville Public Museum of Brown County, Green Bay,
Wisconsin; and the Kit Hammond, Great Dane Trailers Corporate Headquarters,
Savannah, Georgia.
Berner is an active volunteer for Golden Retriever
Rescue of Wisconsin, got her first Golden Retriever in 1978, and is now on
her fourth one, Ginger.
Ginger serves as an inspiration for Berner’s art. “I
have many wonderful pictures of Ginger doing everything from snoozing on the
couch to playing with other dogs at the dog beach, and they just beg to become
paintings,” says Berner.
Although Berner’s lovely canvas Evening
Stroll is not a portrait of Ginger, it is a painting of her sister’s
Golden Retriever and a male friend she “picked up” at the beach
in the Outer Banks. “Once a year my sister and I rent a place where
we can have our dog vacation together. We have rented places in the
Outer Banks and Sanibel Island, Florida. Both are very dog friendly,” recalls
Berner.
Jennifer Leong was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and
raised in southern California. She received her Bachelor of Science with
Honors in Advertising/Communications from Cal Poly Pomona in 1998, and Bachelor
of Fine Arts with Honors in Illustration from the acclaimed Art Center College
of Design, Pasadena, California, in 2002.
While Leong has enjoyed painting mythical creatures, magical objects,
and human characters on projects such as the world renowned Warner Brothers
Harry Potter Franchise, her lifelong love of animals and involvement with animal
rescue inspires her canine portraits.
Leong’s lovely oil glazing on wood panel paintings
express a traditional approach to dog art that reflects a classic style found
in many nineteenth century works of art. Taz & Chamba (shown at
left) depict two Smooth Coat Chihuahuas posed on a red cloth with a gentle
wooded landscape and soft blue sky in the background. A dragonfly flitting
in the air has caught the attention of the dog on the right.
The artist is represented in numerous private collections
that include celebrities and well-known artists both nationally and internationally.
Leong lives and works in Pasadena with her fiancé,
Darren, her rescue dog, Grimis, and several birds.
The Sixth Artists’ Registry Exhibition is
available to visitors through August 31.
Sumo Times 3, acrylic on canvas (triptych)
by Judith Jarcho
Tazand
Chamba, oil on wood panel
by Jennifer Leong
Evening Stroll, oil painting
by Sally M. Berner
