WELCOME TO
An online museum dedicated to the shepherd's dog,
its history, culture, and lore
through the eyes of artists, writers, poets, and historians;
and to the shepherds that used their herding dogs to bring the flocks safely down from the hills.
"The Shepherd's Dogge...either at the hearing of his master's voyce, or at the wagging and whistling in his fist, or at his shrill and hoarse hissing, bringeth the wandering weathers and straying sheepe into the self same place where his master's will and wishe is to have them."
--- Johannes Caius, physician to Queen Elizabeth I,
from his Treatise on Englishe Dogges, 1576
Above, "Twins" by Sir Edwin Landseer.
("Twins" refers to the two lambs, not the dogs.
One of dogs (the rear one) is a sable and the other a tricolor,
possibly a saddle-patterned tri or a heavily shaded sable.)
There are two kinds of exhibits here that will give you an idea of what kind of dog a Border Collie is and what went into the making of the breed:
The Permanent Collection includes information and history of the shepherd's dog in general; on the Border Collie specifically, its history, physical attributes and working style; and an extensive bibliography. As with all our pages, we provide links to other Border Collie and shepherd's dog sites on the Internet. The intent is to have important and interesting information available to you at all times, but some of it may also change, as things are updated periodically or given a rest.
Left, a scene in the Yorkshire Dales by artist Alan Ingham.
The Changing Exhibit focuses on the cultural aspects of the Border Collie. Here you will find articles, interviews, profiles, stories, book reviews, artwork and photographs, all of which will change periodically. Usually, only one or two items will be featured in the Changing Exhibit. Some may be repeated from time to time, so if you missed something you may have a chance to view it again.
Left, a scene in the Highlands of Scotland, artist unknown.
Below are some of the things we have to offer. Just click on the thumbnail pictures and/or the green underlined text and they will take you where you want to go. Enjoy your stay and come back for subsequent visits. The exhibits are ever-growing and ever-changing.
Left, detail of sheep by Aldrich Otto Farsky (1895-1968), an American painter.
[REQUEST: The Border Collie Museum is always looking for new material, both for this site and for a possible future book. We are particularly eager to find material relating to the Border Collie or shepherd's dog in America. If you have any old books, articles, clippings, photographs, personal or family stories, and other memorabilia relating to the breed that you would like to lend or donate to us and would enjoy seeing incorporated into this site, please contact us (shepdog@gis.net) and we will tell you where to send it. Any material we borrow will be handled carefully and returned to you as quickly as possible. Any material donated to us, will be archived. If we use your material, we will give you credit. --ed.]
Above, "Two Collies" a sable and a black-and-white, from an 1870 painting,
artist unknown
[REMINDER: Thumbnails and/or green underlined text are links.]
THE HISTORY OF THE SHEPHERD'S DOG
The following are people, who, through writing or art, music or poetry, or by action, have contributed to our knowledge of the history of the shepherd's dog. There is very little mention of the shepherd's dog in history or literature, so we are infinitely grateful to the people referred to on these pages.
We purposely draw a distinction between the Border Collie and the shepherd's dog. For our purposes here, "Border Collie" refers to the shepherd's dog that as a breed did not come into being until the late 19th, early 20th centuries; whereas, "shepherd's dog" refers to all working herding dogs, primarily collies, chiefly in Great Britain and Ireland, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, from which the Border Collie and it's cousins developed. Currently, we have the most complete picture from Great Britain, and we are in the process of expanding our sections on the shepherd's dog in America. In the future we hope to have more on Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, but these pages are being slowly built.
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VERY EARLY HISTORY
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THE EARLY 18TH CENTURY THROUGH THE MID 20TH CENTURY
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HISTORY OF THE WORKING BORDER COLLIE
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THE 20TH CENTURY AND BEYOND
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What's On?
Above, an 1875 painting by George Horlor (1849-1891) called "Sheepdogs Resting in a Mountain Landscape".
One appears to be tricolored and the other heavily shaded sable with no white markings.
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For those of you who wonder where I get the pictures on these pages, I have to say they come from many sources and my own collection, both hard copy and virtual, is large. In every case, I try to track down the original artist or photographer, and, in the case where they are living, seek permission to use; but as you can imagine, this is no easy task. So let me just say that if I've put up a picture where you own the rights and have not credited you, I would be more than happy to do so if you will contact me at shepdog@gis.net or if you prefer, I will take it down. If you know the artist and I have not credited him or her, I would appreciate hearing from you as well.
However, there are several resources that I would like to acknowledge here:
There are others who have supplied pictures, and I am grateful to them. |
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These web pages are copyright ©2013
and maintained by webmeistress Carole Presberg
with technical help from webwizard David Presberg
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
If you are interested in using ANY material on this website, you MUST first ask for permission.
