The primary focus of my professional adult life has been devoted to better understanding the past, from graduate school to the archives of France, to my very own history classroom more recently. History is endlessly fascinating, but it can be dark – much like the year 2020 has been to live through.
Any deep appreciation of history, or of tragedy in current events, demands a counterbalance to preserve one’s sanity – and, in my experience, the best antidote to the imperfections of man lies in the only (imho) natural source of pure goodness: Dogs. Cats. Goats. Hamsters. Bunnies. Donkeys. Snails. Turtles. Horses. Pets. Our fuzzy (and not so fuzzy) animal companions that get us through it all.
Mine sure saved me in 2020, during the quarantine, a reliable reason every day to cheer up no matter what new catastrophe appeared on the news. My little chihuahua – so key, so obviously regal and noble and good. Queen of the house, and knows it. And so, as I glanced over my ipad to see my chihuahua curled up on my lap, I thought I’d make her a fitting commemoration, in gratitude. She’d know. And approve. In that moment, historiDOGraphy was born.
Pets bring out the best in other people, too. People on edge aren’t always super friendly, but a nearby dog to say hi to builds connections faster and more effectively than just about anything else. Pets should be everywhere. Cuteness should be everywhere.
2020 being 2020, all of this happened at home, where also lives my husband. Pierre, as it happens, has significant experience watching ideas grow into projects and then into businesses. After a month or two watching me do portrait after portrait for friend after friend, he decided to let me in on what I was doing – a Tarantino moment, he called it. I spent my life looking at dogs, poking around in the archives, and reading about history. Perhaps I should make this strange skill publicly available?
And so, HistoriDOGraphy became a little family business, Pierre became the business manager, and we set out to cheer people up with cute things that look so nice you’ll be proud to take outside.
Since then, it has been a delight to connect with dog moms and cat dads (and more) far and wide, get to know your pets, and do them justice in a tribute.
So, I thought to myself:
I’d be happier if I could have a picture of my dog around, wherever. Or here and there. (Is that weird? It’s 2020. We all talk to our pets now, right?)
I don’t see why it has to be weird. I can definitely make dogs look not just like they belong in historic images, but look like they are the most like themselves, with imagery to match personality.
Because they belong there. Humanity had pets, and those pets experienced and shaped our past. And here I am, giving people all the credit in my day job as a history teacher and curriculum writer.
Pets – the hidden actors in human history. (I think about this stuff a lot, often while browsing randomly through archives and images to see what I find. For fun. Really.)
I wish there were a historiography of the role of dogs in shaping human history.
A histori…DOGraphy?
🐕 so we (chihuahua included) got to work🐾
Our goal is to make cuteness portable and pets epic, in shirts & sweaters for men, women, and kids; leggings; shoes; home decor, throw pillows; wall art, accessories, bags, mugs, notebooks, jigsaw puzzles, phone cases, and even skateboards. I will make it really cool to look at, using humanity’s images through history. There will be a reason that each specific pet is set in a given era & artwork.
Aesthetic: Not “crazy dog lady” but “ooh cool shoes. Are those dogs?! AWESOME!”
HistoriDOGraphy designs stay classy, look nice, and make a reliable and easy conversation piece. Plus, if you’re of a mind to go digging through the archives too, each design can lead to some pretty interesting eras of history.
Each design has images with a history, the paring of pet and imagery contains meaning, and that can become a story, should you want to chat with the next person to complement your backpack.
Want YOUR pet on our next design? A custom pet canvass perhaps? I love taking commissions, and welcome collaboration opportunities! Shoot me a message at HistoriDOGraphy@gmail.com for an estimate to get your very own four-legged friend the saintly / royal treatment they deserve, or surprise someone in your life with a unique gift!
Happy customers
OH MY GOD THIS IS AMAZING
I am getting this framed
HistoriDOGraphy 