THEY PUT THE ‘COOL’ IN COOLIDGE

coolidge press photo high res scan - Version 2 — This historic and stunning image of Grace and Calvin Coolidge with their chow ‘Blackberry’ and white collie ‘Rob Roy’ was an incredible find and the original 8×10 photo is in our private collection. The love this family had for it’s companion animals was unsurpassed.

“Any man who does not like
dogs and want them about,
does not deserve to be
in the White House.”

‘Calvin and Grace Coolidge certainly lived up to those words—and more. Before, during, and after their White House years, the Coolidges kept a dizzying array of pets. From cats and dogs, canaries and mockingbirds, to
wombats and raccoons, the Coolidges surrounded themselves with four- footed or feathered creatures.’

~from Wombats and Such by David Pietrusza

GRACE COOLIDGE AND POSSIBLY THE RED DOG 'TINY TIM' AS A PUPPY — ABOVE IS GRACE COOLIDGE AND POSSIBLY THE RED DOG ‘TINY TIM’ AS A PUPPY

Source The Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation:

“Tiny Tim the chow – Mr. Coolidge and I shared the same birthday- the 4th of July! I was a red chow-chow, and another favorite of Mrs. Coolidge. Mr. Coolidge and I did not get along, and I quickly became known as Terrible Tim.”

AND HOW COOL IS THIS PHOTO? AMAZING IMAGE. — And how COOL is this photo of The Coolidges with Blackberry in front of the Cheese Factory/General store

The Calvin and Grace Coolidge with their chow, Blackberry on the steps of the General Store in Plymouth Notch, summer 1931. Courtesy of the Yankee Publishing Collection. — This photo was taken in the same location as the previous one and judging by what the Coolidges were wearing , also at the same time.

coolidge press photo high res scan - Version 3 — This is another gem in our personal collection taken during Calvin Coolidges’ campaign of 1924. In my research I discovered the family spent a lot of time in The Black Hills of South Dakota on campaign and took their dogs with them

Source: The Calvin Coolidge Presidental Foundation

Blackberry the Chow – “Although the Coolidges had Tiny Tim and Calamity Jane, I entered the Coolidge’s life during the family trip to the Black Hills. I was a beautiful, well-bred black chow-chow. Even my mouth was black! I did not end up stay long with Mr. and Mrs. Coolidge, as I became a gift from John Coolidge to his “Certain Young Lady”.

Focusing on Grace Coolidge’s well publicized love for her animals, including Rob Roy the white collie, these letters, written to the breeder who sold Blackberry to Grace Coolidge, offer a fine glimpse into the heart of an animal lover and her devotion to her pets. I would have loved to have known this fascinating woman in person! These letters were sold at auction for an unknown sum.

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Grace and Calvin Coolidge

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Grace and Calvin Coolidge

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Grace and Calvin Coolidge

Mr. Howard and Mrs. Matilda Coffin of Sapelo Island, Georgia, meeting the President and First Lady at the Sea Island Yacht Club in December 1928 -courtesy The Mary Counihan Collection

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AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST…INCREDIBLE AND EXTREMELY RARE FOOTAGE OF THE COOLIDGES WITH TWO CHOWS

TINY TIM (the dark red dog) AND A YOUNG CHOW PUPPY IN OUTAKES FROM A 20TH CENTURY FOX NEWSREEL

These 2 amazing photos below I found in the New York Public Library. They coincide with the time frame of the video above after Calvin Coolidge and Grace moved from the Whitehouse , into their private home in Northampton, MA. The chow is most likely the deep red dog Tiny Tim as Blackberry was given to the Coolidge son’s fiance in 1928.