SOURCE: HAMSHERE GALLERY – HILDEWELL TAO MU BY ARTIST MONICA GRAY
The article below is by Nic Waters, talented writer for Dog World UK.. This outstanding magazine unfortunately closed for business recently, and I am so glad I saved this article for reference and felt it would disappear altogether if I didn’t archive it here now. I also archived one other article that Nic wrote at THIS LINK
“One of the most important Chow Chow kennels during the early years of the 20th century (in the U.K.) was that of Mrs B F Moore, The Rectory, Hinderwell, Yorkshire and it is a picture of one of her less successful dogs that I feature this week, Hildewell Tao Mu.
Her pioneer Chow was Kwei, by Formosa ex Tientsin (both imported from Hong Kong) and first shown at Liverpool in January 1900, when he won a CC. Her successful dogs that followed included Bogie Ching, Sung, Ch Red Craze, Ch Shylock, Ch Hildewell Ba Tang and the litter brothers Ch Hildewell Chu-ang and Ch Hildewell Kwong who were out of Tao Mu by Hildewell Ad Hok.”
” Ad Hok proved to be a good sire who was claimed at his catalogue price of £100 by an American at the Kennel Club Show in 1907, although at this show he won only a VHC.
Tao Mu was born in 1903, owner bred by Ch Shylock ex Duchesse. In Mrs Moore’s ownership Shylock became one of the most successful dogs of his day and was a grandson of the imported Ch Chow VIII who was described by Mrs Moore as “the best and most typical dog ever benched, notwithstanding his somewhat round eyes, almond eyes are of course correct in Chinamen”. Duchesse was a daughter of Chow VIII.
Tao Mu made her debut in the ring in 1904 and was shown regularly thereafter winning seconds and thirds. By the age of seven she had either blossomed or found two very favourable judges for she won the CCs in 1910 at Crufts under Mr H Sawtell and the LKA under Mrs Rawson. From then on it was all downhill again and she was last shown at Shrewsbury in 1911 winning two thirds.
Her portrait (top of article) was painted by the London based artist Monica F Gray, a miniature and landscape painter as well as a dog portraitist. She exhibited between 1898 and 1919 including six pictures at the Royal Academy. Mrs Moore commissioned her to paint a number of her dogs.
If one looks at the accompanying photograph of a group of Mrs Moore’s dogs, Tao Mu is second from the right, so Miss Gray must have employed some artistic licence when she painted her picture.”
And finally here is the portrait Monica Gray created of the #2 dog in the photograph, “Chimmo”
Sandra miller. Have you any information on a chow chow we think shown in 1903 by Mr. Sydney Woolley? We have a silver spoon presented to him dated 1903. I am his son and anxious for any information I can find.
Sandra miller. Have you any information on a chow chow we think shown in 1903 by Mr. Sydney Woolley? We have a silver spoon presented to him dated 1903. I am his son and anxious for any information I can find.
Hello David, it is so wonderful to hear from you. The name sounds so familiar. Was Mr. Sydney Woolley from England or America? Is there any name or award indicated on the spoon. Do you know if he was a chow breeder back then. 1903 is VERY early in the introduction of the chow from China to both England and America and you have a real treasure there. Does the silver spoon happen to have a chow head or full chow body at the top of the handle? You can use my regular email [email protected] if you prefer .
Once I get a few more details I can go on a search through my archives and see what we can come up with. This is the fun part about being an archivist!!
Chow for Now…Sandra Miller