Must Love Dogs: E. J. Detmold

This month's "Must Love Dogs" blog series again focuses on an illustrator.  E. J. (Edward Julius) Detmold was a Victorian book illustrator, along with his twin brother, Charles Maurice.  Together, they produced sixteen watercolors for Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book (published in 1903).  After Maurice's death in 1908, Edward continued to create illustrations, including The Fables of Aesop, The Life of the Bee, and The Book of Baby Beasts.  He also illustrated The Book of Baby Dogs, two copies of which are housed in our dog book collection.

The book includes both text and illustrations related to varying dog breeds, including the pug, the bulldog, and the bloodhound.  The narrative often provides insight as to the breed's origin and anecdotal stories.  For example, the pug is said to have been introduced to Great Britain "about the time of King William III, who came over from Holland in 1688."  

Below are some of my favorite illustrations from the book.  Enjoy!