(Afghan Hound Database and Breed Information Exchange)
(By S Tillotson, May 2016)
A very special and rare photograph! The photo above is probably unknown to the current fancy and was first published over a century ago, (in the London Daily News on Thursday 09 February 1911) and is the only known photo of Lass. Above is a photo of Afghan Lass, taken at Crufts in 1911 where she was entered along with her kennelmate Zardin. The "Dublin Daily Express" February 18th 1911 states, "Zardin and Afghan Lass, (both owned by Mr A Shackleton) were on exhibition at Crufts Show, and drew large crowds around where they were benched". A report in "The Times" newspaper (London, England) dated 19th November 1908 states - "FOREIGN DOG SHOW, there was a good entry of 79 at the show of the Chow-Chow club, which was held yesterday, in the London Scottish-hall, Buckingham-gate, and, apart from the classes provided for chow-chow dogs of various colours, there were interesting groups of other foreign dogs. Capt Barf, who brought out the Afghan greyhound Zardin at the Kennel Club show of 1907, has since imported other hounds, and a brace of them were benched with Zardin at yesterdays show. "Afghan Lass, a good coated fawn bitch of quite a different type to Zardin attracted the most attention for she is built on racing lines and has the yearning and intelligent look which is so marked a characteristic of the breed. She was an easy second to Zardin in two classes". Afghan Lass was also entered at Crufts in 1909. Afghan Lass is also portrayed in the famous F T Dawes painting (1909) of Zardin. The painting was previously owned by Marion Foster Florsheim, who later gifted the painting to Phyllis Robson. The last I heard (1996) was that the painting was owned by Afghan hound enthusiasts/exhibitors in Worcestershire, England. This painting is (was) the only known image we had of Afghan Lass until the recent discovery of the photograph at the top of this page. Afghan Lass was not registered with The Kennel Club and her pedigree is unknown but she was bred by Capt Barff. According to a report published in "The Scotsman" newspaper dated 22nd October 1921, Zardin and Afghan Lass were sold by Capt Barff to Mr Shackleton, a dog dealer in Leadenhall Market, London, (circa 1909) when Capt Barff disbanded his kennels. (We know from another press report that Zardin and Afghan Lass had been transferred to Mr Shackleton prior to July 1909 because we have a show report for that date where Mr Shackleton is listed as exhibitor and owner). See also Zardin Section Greyhounds Of The Arabs (By A Croxton Smith, 1923) New Aticle/Photos on Zardin (William Barf unseen photos) Mr Shackleton (Zardin and Afghan Lass's 2nd owner) A Brief Sketch Of Afghanistan/Pakistan/India History (Author Steve Tillotson, June 2013) 1906 Indian Kennel Club Description Of Zardin 1907 Zardin meets the King and Queen of England Press Cuttings about Zardin compiled by Steve Tillotson 2015 Early Afghan hound section The F.T. Daws Painting, (Painted 1909) |
