From a photographer’s perspective, the photos on pages 133 and 136 are the type of photograph I would be very proud to have taken. One is an image of two women in deep black clothing looking off to the side while the pure white shepherd sandwiched between them looks directly into the camera; it is clear he is the star.
Christmas photo taken of two Danish women and their mesmerizing white shepherd, circa 1900, is one of the author’s favorites.
Copyright ©2022 by Anthony Cavo. Reprinted courtesy of Harper Design, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
If I had to choose one photograph that summed up the essence of the book, it would be the image on page 109, “The Look of Love,” in which the dog’s adoration of his person is unmistakable and quite poignant; it is truly the look of love.
AT: Tell us about your first dog; and your current one(s).
CAVO: My first dog was named Silver, she was a white German shepherd, and although I was three years old when we lost her, I remember her well. After Silver, came Dolly, a sheltie. Dolly existed to give love. One day, a male dog jumped our fence and a little more than two months later, Dolly gave birth to ten puppies. My mother, a nurse, involved me and my siblings in the birth. The puppies came so quickly that most of them were still in their amniotic sacs. My mom showed us how to open the sac, suction the pups and even had us performing artificial respiration on a couple that were initially not breathing. This experience was memorable, magical, profound, largely responsible for the love my siblings and I have always had for animals. Everyone in our neighborhood knew that if they encountered an injured or homeless animal of any type, that our house was to place to bring them.
The author, when he wore a younger man’s clothes, with Schatzi, a standard black Schnauzer.
Courtesy Anthony Cavo
Currently, I am so busy that at times I used my house to bathe and sleep. To have a dog would be unfair. Fortunately, I live in a two-family house with my brother’s family and Buddy, a Labradoodle. The door between our houses is rarely closed, and when it is, Buddy knows how to open it. Buddy always greets me when I return home. He sits in the window, watches me park the car and then runs to my door to wait for me. Walking in that door and sitting on the steps with Buddy is usually enough to smooth the ripples of the day.
He doesn’t rest until everyone is home. During the night, Buddy does a nightwatchman’s rounds. He goes from bedroom to bedroom throughout the night to make sure everyone is present.
The others dogs in my life are my sister’s Yorkipoos, Vladimir and Sasha, and schnauzer, Otto.
I am also blessed with Maui, my best friend’s dog, who, of all the dogs in my life is my soul mate. I get to see Maui almost every day and when we are together, we are inseparable. When our eyes connect, I swear I can almost see his soul and it seems he can see mine.
This young California man who wore his hat nonchalantly on the crown of his head in 1910 posed proudly with his mixed breed terrier and boxer, seemingly unaware that the moment was fleeting. Thankfully, the occasion was captured by an amateur photographer.
Copyright ©2022 by Anthony Cavo. Reprinted courtesy of Harper Design, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
AT: Favorite dog names?
CAVO: I once had a puppy called Dumpsy, but some of the dog names in Love Immortal are definitely unique. Pedro, Sancho, and Psyche are some of them.
When I lived in Dominica, I had a dog named Black-eye – I loved that dog; I still love that dog. I found Black-eye in the street, pretty much starved and so full of ticks that she appeared spotted. I bathed her and fed her and soon she was quite healthy, although she still had a yearning to run the streets. Very often, while traveling to Princess Margaret Hospital, I would have to stop the transport and get off because Black-eye would be running behind. Although she loved to run free, I had to keep her locked in the house.
At times, while I was at the hospital, Black-eye would get loose and actually find her way to the hospital ten miles away. More than a few times I heard one of the nurses say, “Your dog is here again.”
It wasn’t long before Black-eye had a litter of her own and shortly thereafter, she and her five pups were stolen from my house while I was on duty at the hospital; I never saw them again and I’ve never gotten over it.
Stella and her pup, Chief, enjoy an afternoon on the porch, circa 1890s.
Copyright ©2022 by Anthony Cavo. Reprinted courtesy of Harper Design, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
AT: For you, what’s the best thing about having a dog in your life?
CAVO: The greeting I get when I open the door, the feeling of them pressed against me when we sit together, the adoring stares, the antics, and the simple, basic need we have for each other.
AT: Best advice for someone interested in collecting old photographs?
CAVO: Read, read, read. There are many informative books on antique photographs, but the three I recommend that are invaluable in dating and identifying antique photos are: Collector’s Guide to Early Photographs by O. Henry Mace, American Victorian Costume in Photographs by Priscilla Harris Dalrymple, and Dressed for the Photographer, Ordinary Americans & Fashion, 1840 – 1900 by Joan Severa.
If you are interested in collecting cased photographs (photos housed in cases made of thermoplastic, leather, pressed paper and even papier-mâché) then Nineteenth Century Photographic Cases and Wall Frames by Paul K. Berg is a must.
You may want to review the photograph articles in the Antique Trader; they offer a great deal of information is a very concise manner.
Taken approximately 115 years ago, the sweet image of a young Romanian woman and her dog speaks to their timeless bond.
Copyright ©2022 by Anthony Cavo. Reprinted courtesy of Harper Design, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
AT: What do you hope people take away with them after reading your book?
CAVO: Aside from learning a great deal about the history of dogs, the pleasure of seeing them with their people, the laughs I hope they experience with the captions and the hours of pleasure they realize whenever they open the book, I would especially like them to appreciate that the love we have for our dogs transcends time, borders, religion and politics and that no matter how we as people differ, we at least have that one beautiful characteristic in common and as such, we understand each other at least on one level.
All images are from the book: LOVE IMMORTAL by Anthony Cavo. Copyright
You May Also Like: Love Immortal: A Sweet and Timeless Dog Story
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