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Once In A Lifetime

A pit bull represents the United States in this 1915 WWI propaganda artwork on a postcard by artist Wallace Robinson.

1915 WWI Postcard | The Archives

Today is the Fourth of July, and it wouldn’t be complete without an installment of The Archives and another historical pit bull terrier representing the United States. Archive #9 is a postcard produced during the onset of WWI, by artist Wallace Robinson.

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1881 National Police Gazette featuring Llyod's Pilot and his match against Kreiger's Crib

1881 Lloyd’s Pilot | The Archives

These historical artifacts tell an important story. In the case of Archive #8, it shows how a match in Kentucky between Lloyd’s Pilot and Kreiger’s Crib for the (first) American Championship in 1881, created s spike in interest of breeding pit bull terriers in the United States for the purpose of sport.

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A civil war monument in Gettysburg of a bull and terrier dog named Sallie.

Sallie Ann Jarrett | A Civil War Dog

In the spring of 1861 – at the start of the American Civil War in Camp Wayne in West Chester, PA, a civilian gifted the 11th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry with a four week old puppy. The soldiers named her Sallie Ann Jarrett after their commanding officer, Colonel Phaon Jarrett and a young townswoman they were fond of. 

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Media photo from 1933 of a Boston Bulldog with a rabbit

1933 Boston Bulldog | The Archives

The attached press photo appeared in a side story by an American media company – ACME Newspictures, dated November 2, 1933. In Archive #7, we will discuss this unexpected interspecies relationship between a Boston Bulldog named Peaches and a wild rabbit. 

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Pete the Pup of the Our Gang television show on a trading card from 1929.

Pete the Pup | The Archives

For nearly a century, generations of children grew up watching some version of a pit bull dog named Pete the Pup. In Archive #6, we take a look at the real life dog who played the character of Pete in the Our Gang comedy series. 

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A pit bull represents the United States in this 1915 WWI propaganda poster by artist Wallace Robinson.

WWI Poster | The Archives

Given that today is Memorial Day, it provides us with an opportunity to showcase a pit bull terrier representing the U.S. and its values for the next installment of The Archives. There’s plenty to choose from, too, but for Archive #5 we settled on this well known 1915 WWI propaganda poster by artist – Wallace Robinson.

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Adorable pit bull dog and baby on a cabinet card photograph from the early 1900s

1900s Pit Bull Dog and Baby | The Archives

Two of the first three blog entries of this series have been cabinet card photographs. How about we go three out of the first four? Because this early 1900s pit bull and baby on a cabinet card is simply put – adorable. 

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A white pit bull dog with children on a cabinet card photograph from 1893

1893 White Pit Bull with Children | The Archives

We’ve already seen one white pit bull dog on a cabinet card from the 1890s in this blog series – The Archives. In Archive #3 we have yet another! But, this time it’s a white pit bull with his children taken in 1893. Yes, that exact year. 

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A pit bull dog laying at the feet of a gentleman smoking a pipe from the 1870s.

1870s Pit Bull Dog and Gentleman | The Archives

In the first entry of this special blog series – The Archives, I chose to start it off with a white pit bull dog on a Cabinet Card photograph from the 1890s. That timeframe would have been when the American Pit Bull Terrier breed name was born. This entry – Archive #2, of a pit bull dog laying at the feet of a gentleman smoking a pipe dates even further back to the 1870s!

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