Old Faithful: Dogs of a Certain Age - Hardcover

Thorne, Pete

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062413457 ISBN 13: 9780062413451

Publisher: Harper, 2015

Synopsis

A stunning and indelible collection of portraits and stories that capture dogs of a certain age in all their patchy, scruffy, jowly, and devoted glory—an homage to man’s best friend, based on the popular international photography project.

The dogs in Old Faithful are well worn, well loved, and well on in years. After his grandmother’s 100th birthday party, photographer and dog lover Pete Thorne found himself taking photos of elderly dogs. In their aged, imperfect faces, he saw a depth of life, joy, and wisdom missing from more youthful subjects. He gathered these rich and powerful portraits into a web series he called “Old Faithful.”

The reaction was instant—and astounding—from media outlets as diverse as Huffington Post and BuzzFeed to Esquire and ABC, to thousands of people around the globe who reached out to Thorne with their heartwarming stories of their own faithful companions. The photos triggered a wide variety of emotions, eliciting smiles and tears, and unleashing a flood of anecdotes and memories. “Old Faithful” became a shared platform for dog lovers all over the world.

Based on his web series, Old Faithful features dozens of color photographs that bring these dogs vividly into focus, accompanied by poignant descriptive sketches that capture the spirit and personality of each, illuminate his life and experiences, and celebrate the shared relationship with a beloved human companion.

A sweet and moving keepsake, Old Faithful demonstrates that aging can be beautiful, and offers profound lessons for all of us, no matter our age. 

About this title

From the Back Cover

Old Faithful is a striking and heartrending collection of photographs and stories featuring dogs who are well worn, well loved, and well on in years. The Old Faithful Project started after photographer Pete Thorne snapped photographs for his grandmother's hundredth birthday party. Inspired, he began photographing elderly dogs. What he discovered were faces with more life, more joy, and more wisdom than he could have ever anticipated.

After he posted a few photographs, stories and pictures came pouring in from around the globe—people wanted to share tales of their own senior dogs. Thorne met with hundreds of senior dogs and their best friends and human companions. Old Faithful features seventy-five of these dogs and their stories.

Each dog has a different background. Some were rescued from pet mills, like seventeen-year-old Chihuahua Sam, who has exceeded his life expectancy by five years and counting. Some needed a forever home after their owners could no longer care for them, like sixteen-year-old toy poodle Grimm, who's had a long list of health problems but remains as unique and lovable as ever. And some have been companions since puppyhood, like ten-year-old rottweiler Brut, who loves his human siblings as if he were their mother. But all of these dogs are beloved, in their own patchy, scruffy, jowly glory.

About the Author

Pete Thorne is a professional photographer. He is a graduate of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, and lives in Toronto.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0062413457
• ISBN 13: 9780062413451
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 144