This incredibly rare 1926 magazine came to my attention quite unexpectedly when a Facebook friend, Jan, tagged me in a post to draw my attention to its rarity. The original post had been shared by Bulldog breeder, historian, and AKC Gazette columnist, Elizabeth Hugo Milam.
After a few messages back and forth, Elizabeth and I quickly discovered we had much in common. What began as a simple conversation about a rare publication soon revealed a shared passion for preserving the history of our respective breeds. That moment of realizing our mutual interest in canine history sparked not only a fascinating discussion about the magazine itself, but also the beginning of a new friendship.
Elizabeth very generously offered to send this remarkable publication to the ChowTales Archive, a gesture for which I am eternally grateful. To date, neither of us has encountered another copy of this particular issue of The National Dog Journal, making its survival all the more extraordinary.
If any ChowTales followers happen to have copies of The National Dog Journal in their own collections—whether from this year or any other—I would be delighted to hear from you. Discovering additional issues would help shed further light on this fascinating and little-seen publication.
The cover featuring Mrs. Waller /Messmore is a treasure in itself. She was a close friend of the article’s author, Eugene Byfield, which makes her appearance on the cover especially meaningful.
Known to the dog world as Mrs. Waller /Messmore, she was one of the early foundation breeders of Chow Chows in America and an important voice for the breed during its formative years in this country. She authored numerous articles for the American Kennel Club’s publication, the AKC Gazette, helping to educate fanciers and promote understanding of the breed at a time when Chows were still relatively new to American dog circles.
For easier reading, I have broken the two-page article into smaller sections below and enlarged the accompanying photographs so the details can be more fully appreciated.
Thank you ! A very interesting article and the photos are so clear! Another incredible treasure❤️