Dog Dogs

by Elliott Erwitt (Photographer), P.G. Wodehouse

The legendary Magnum photographer Elliott Erwitt (b.1928) says that he did not consciously set out to photograph dogs. According to him, it just happened that way. And that one day, when he was looking through his boxes of photographs, he realized that somehow or other dogs had crept into a fair proportion of them. Not that they were dog portraits. More just photographs with dogs in. Pictures of poodles taken at dog shows, of Airedales fetching sticks in the park, of crowds of dogs larking around together, of Highland Terriers jumping in the air for joy - and hundreds of images of dogs walking, being carried, sitting on hearthrugs, beaches, riverbanks, sofas, park benches. DogDogs is a delightful object presenting the largest selection ever published of Erwitt's dog photographs. Any dog-lover's dream title, it contains 500 pictures, all of them printed full-bleed and in arresting duotone. Also included is a captivating essay by P G Wodehouse, who was an admirer of Erwitt's work and a keen dog-owner himself. As he says, ' ... what superb photographs these are. It does one good to look at them. There is not one sitter in his gallery who does not melt the heart.'

Genres: Photography, Art, Dogs, Nonfiction, Animals, Art and Photography, Humor

512 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1998

About the author

Elliott Erwitt (born Elio Romano Erwitz) is an advertising and journalistic photographer known for his black and white candid shots of ironic and absurd situations within everyday settings -- the master of the "indecisive moment".

Reviews

[Keri Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, both as a dog lover and a photographer. The only words in this book are telling where each photo was taken and a small note from the author in the center; however, the pictures are so wonderful that words are unnecessary. I would recomend this collection of photographs to anyone who loves dogs and/or black and white photography.

[BookScout · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book some years ago and I just know I will keep it forever. I am often reaching for my well thumbed copy just to browse through. It works as an uplifting tonic; a feast for the dog lovers eyes. The sensitive, intelligent, black and white photography could only be captured by someone who respects dogs. You see this in every image. Each picture allows us a glimpse into the narrative of a dog's secret life. Worth every penny - would make a perfect gift, just make sure you buy one for yourself too.

[Alex Gross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this as a gift (for someone not on Goodreads so I won’t be found out with this review!) and had to take the opportunity to go through this myself while I have it.

It’s mind boggling that someone can convey such strong, smart humor through photography. Of course, some of the dogs here are contributing a lot themselves, but Erwitt is a master of comedy with a camera - both compositionally and through material and sequencing (the cat photos are such a good joke in themselves amongst this collection).

This is obviously a love letter to dogs in some respect, but I really appreciate Erwitt’s description of the book, which resonates with what I love about it and his photography in general: “In the end, this is not a book of dog pictures but of dogs in pictures.”

While the shear volume of dog photos is part of the whole thesis of this book, it does lead to a large amount of photos that are less exciting than others. Furthermore, I think the absolute best photos here - photos that transcend “dog picture” or “dog in picture” - are included in his other works (or at least in Personal Best, which may be my favorite photography book I’ve ever read). All this to say: for those interested in what makes Elliot Erwitt a great photographer, you will certainly find it here, but of course this is more about the dogs. Which is very very very fun and well worth your time by all means!

[CD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dog photographs from one of the great Leica masters. Fun frivolous and fashionable all apply alike.

Erwitt brings not only dogs to the viewer but through them portions of a world where dogs are king.

Photographs for any connoisseur of this art genre.


I am resetting the 'read' date to this week as I spent a bunch of time going through it again between cleaning and re-shelving several books.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

What could be better than a photo book devoted exclusively to Man's Best Friend? Wonderful dogs of every shape and size are featured in fantastic images that never grow tiresome or old.

[Hirondelle (not getting notifications) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just heaven.

[Linda Rowland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful photographs!

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

my high school art teacher's favorite photo book

[TJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute book. It celebrates dogs but is sad at the same time knowing all of these dogs are probably passed by now and most of the people. I like how when you look at a picture, you can’t tell what decade it is by looking at the dogs, but if you look at the people’s dress you can get a better idea. It shows just how timeless dogs are. The author says he took pictures of people and the dogs were showing up in the photos somewhat unintentionally. I like how the author says, “In the end, this is not a book of dog pictures but of dogs in pictures.”

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

nothing better. black & white pup photos spanning the world, taken from 1946-1998. a note from the photographer & a dog essay by p.g. wodehouse. perfectly orchestrated photo pairs - half in landscape, half in portrait. one shot of a chihuahua (probably his most famous) that i remembered from the gift rack at barnes & noble when i worked there in college. this casual and random collection is plain perfect: an army of flawless dog portraits he didn’t realise he had been taking for decades.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard of this photographer until he's cited in The Dogist's new book as an idol of his. Just a unique collection of 511 photos from the 1950's through the 1990's from all over the world.

[Mary Narkiewicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Endlessly entertaining and inspiring and lovely.. Looking at the lives of hundreds of dogs..
Great photographs by Elliott Erwitt.. A dog bible!!

[Wachirawit Rakchai · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad that I picked this book randomly from the library. I found out that this is one of the most fav book of my list. Time pass but dog doen't change. They're always with us afterall. Love you dogs!

[iansomething · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do dogs have a sense of humour?

[MKF]

I don't understand why a single photo of cats were added or why they needed to include a dog going to the restroom.

[Gulli · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love dogs.

[succulent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my heart. Never have I wanted to hug a book so much.

[Ape Bleakney · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for dogs - cute collection of dog photographs since mid-century on, all over the world, in black and white film. A few brief written sections, but mostly straight DOG PHOTOS.

[Gijs Limonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exploring the classics in photography; feast your eyes on these works of art; not all masterpieces but plenty to go around to get you inspired. Many of these collections are long out of print; check out the Internet Archive (https://archive.org); many of the timeless classics are made freely available or after signing up, free to (digitally) borrow.

[Blaise Morita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Social media and viral videos have turned the art of photographing man's best friend into a talent largely based on the quality of Smartphone and choice of Instagram filter on chooses to implement. But photographer Elliot Erwitt takes his black and white vision and intricate story-telling with single images in his collection entitled Dog Dogs. The selections range from 1940-1970's and are absent of any text save a quick notation of said photo's date and location. Indeed the entire "text" lacks any substantive literary content, save a dozen page foreword inserted into the middle of the book, reminiscent of the tasty morsel surrounded by the meat of the matter. The visuals are allowed to take center stage and tell the narrative a tale of contrast, composition and focus.

Dog Dogs powerfully captures moments of man's best friend that may appear mundane in passing. Revisiting Erwitt's collected frozen moments in time decades later reveals the very essence of the locales they describe. Man's best friend's deep desires and little pleasures reveals itself in the casual daily routines that make up life of friends with fur and those that take them in.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mean, who can go wrong with dog photographs? I simply love them, even if they are dated. These are wonderful black and white shots made during Erwitt's travels, in which dogs appeared and he collected for us to enjoy. What an awesome job, if you can get it. The shots range from late 1940s to 1990s, and span the globe. The blurb above says only about 100 pages, but my edition had closer to 600 I would guess. I didn't like the silver captions, however, as they were hard to read (though I imagine that may have been on purpose). If ou love dogs, you will love this collection.

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Libro di immagini. Immagini deliziose, rigorosamente in bianco e nero, di cani grandi e piccoli, da soli o insieme agli uomini. Immagini che provengono dai luoghi più disparati, da tutto il Novecento. Immagini che non hanno mai bisogno di parole per arrivare a colpire l'osservatore.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful photos in this book. THe book is only photos, very little writing, in fact, you have to search for where the photo is taken. The photos cover all reaches of the earth.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a collection of whimsical dog photos that spans across many years.

[Rebecca Upjohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful look at dogs by photographer Elliot Erwitt. Not to be missed by any dog lover!

[Ilze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheer entertainment!
(even if it's only for the old-time backgrounds and not necessarily the dogs!!!) ... not to mention the piece by Wodehouse, a real winner.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love all these different photographs of dogs (and of one cat x3). Great to look at.

[MsEleanorMae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful.

[Karen-Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book of photographs of dogs. Nowadays we see most of our dog photographs, by amateurs, online but these are black and white and gorgeous.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute photos.