While researching and collecting images for my post on Presidential families
(http://www.collectivepic.com/2009/05/white-house-dynasty-obamas-and-other.html)
I stumbled across an interesting trend, the amount of photos documenting White House life that showed pets. Considering the focus given to the current first dog Bo it did not seem fair to let these four-legged pals go over looked. Over the years the White house has seen its rooms host cats and its lawn trampled on by dogs and even a cow. Yes you read that right the White house repertoire of family pets has even included a cow. Bellow are some interesting pictures, including the pet cow and a dog presented with his own birthday cake, o’ the life of a Presidential pet how those must be the glory years. We can only hope that Bo gets such royal treatment.
President Barack Obama, runs away from the family dog, Bo, during a brief break from meetings on the South Lawn of the White House May 12, 2009. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza. The Official White House Photo stream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/
November 7, 1974. President Ford and his golden retriever, Liberty, in the Oval Office. Photographed by David Hume Kennerly. White House Photograph Courtesy Gerald R. Ford Library.
09/30/1967. Photograph of Lady Bird Johnson, President Lyndon B. Johnson, and Yuki Sitting Near the Pedernales River. Lyndon Baines Johnson Library (NLLBJ), 2313 Red River Street, Austin, TX. National Archives.
08/14/1963. Photograph of Kennedy Family with Dogs During a weekend at Hyannisport. John F. Kennedy Library, Boston, MA. Part of Cecil Stoughton White House Photographs.
1922 June 13. President Harding with pet dog Laddie, being photographed in front of the White House. Photograph by National Photo Co. On the far right is Captain Richard J. Walters. (Source: A. Luckhardt, 2007). Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3b12606
1922 July 25. “At the White House this morning Laddie boy was the recipient of a huge birthday cake with three candles, each tipped with a tiny American flag.” In album: Washington, D.C., 1 July 1922 to Aug. 1922, v. 7, Herbert E. French, National Photo Company, p. 25, no. 19315. National Photo Company Collection. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3c31899
Between 1909 and 1913. Pauline, pet cow of President Taft on lawn, in front of the State, War and Navy Building, Washington, D.C. National Photo Company Collection. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3b40899
For more information and other photographs about Presidential pets see the these links:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/slideshows/presidentialpets/
http://www.presidentialpetmuseum.com/index.htm
