G. Brown to E. Nettleship, 17th Aug. 1913.- External URL
- Correspondence Details
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Sent From (Definite): George BrownSent To (Definite): Edward NettleshipDate: 17 Aug 1913
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Holder (Definite): University College London: Special Collections
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Sent fromGeorge Brown
17 Aug 1913
Description:
‘Dear Mr Nettleship,
The books arrived safely this morning and have already given me some hours of keen interest. Later I will write on any points that invite comment. I hasten now to offer my best thanks for your kindness and generosity. When your postcard spoke of sending me a book, my thoughts naturally jumped to “albinism” but I did not anticipate anything of this extensive character. It is not only the part devoted to Pekingese that I find fascinating, but the whole subject, much to my surprise, draws me. I say “to my surprise,” because years ago when I was breeding and exhibiting Pekingese, the sudden introduction by others of albino specimens was a great shock and I did my best to discourage adventures in that direction. Your investigations make me feel that at that very time a mass of material was passing through my hands which if properly recorded might, in its limited sphere of course, have been of value, because, as far as my experience goes, no breed of dog (I might almost say no animal excepting man) shows so many variations from the normal as the Pekingese. From albinism, which is I presume only one phase of imperfect development, I was always thankful to think my kennel free, but there were other fairly frequent manifestations (perhaps akin to albinism) among my puppies of an exuberant or eccentric or deficient growth-stimulus – e.g. extraordinarily large eyes, profuse coats, long feather, extra toes, broad flat horizontally curved claws, absence of tail, and diminutive size. Of none of these was anything put down methodically in black & white, and little remains but a blurred memory of details of which it is therefore idle to say more.
...’
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Sent toEdward Nettleship
17 Aug 1913
Description:
‘Dear Mr Nettleship,
The books arrived safely this morning and have already given me some hours of keen interest. Later I will write on any points that invite comment. I hasten now to offer my best thanks for your kindness and generosity. When your postcard spoke of sending me a book, my thoughts naturally jumped to “albinism” but I did not anticipate anything of this extensive character. It is not only the part devoted to Pekingese that I find fascinating, but the whole subject, much to my surprise, draws me. I say “to my surprise,” because years ago when I was breeding and exhibiting Pekingese, the sudden introduction by others of albino specimens was a great shock and I did my best to discourage adventures in that direction. Your investigations make me feel that at that very time a mass of material was passing through my hands which if properly recorded might, in its limited sphere of course, have been of value, because, as far as my experience goes, no breed of dog (I might almost say no animal excepting man) shows so many variations from the normal as the Pekingese. From albinism, which is I presume only one phase of imperfect development, I was always thankful to think my kennel free, but there were other fairly frequent manifestations (perhaps akin to albinism) among my puppies of an exuberant or eccentric or deficient growth-stimulus – e.g. extraordinarily large eyes, profuse coats, long feather, extra toes, broad flat horizontally curved claws, absence of tail, and diminutive size. Of none of these was anything put down methodically in black & white, and little remains but a blurred memory of details of which it is therefore idle to say more.
...’
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