Mounting deaths and destruction paint a horrific landscape
This 1841 painting by Sir Edwin Landseer of Prince Albert's pet greyhound Eos is one of several paintings and sculptures in the Royal Collection to feature the faithful hound. Prince Albert brought Eos with him from Germany when he married Queen Victoria in 1840.
Quick and agile, greyhounds were used throughout Europe in the Middle Ages for hunting. They were also bred for nobility. Pictured is a hunt held in honor of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor at Torgau Castle in Germany.
Greyhounds were soon considered the dogs of the aristocracy. Here, the breed appears on a coin minted in 1456 and designed by noted Italian medalist Gianfrancesco Enzola (c.1430–c.1513).
Ceramic earthenware decoration was popular in the Middle Ages, especially in Spain and Portugal where the art form originated. This 1754 tile depicts a greyhound in blue and brown on white.
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. As part of the constellation Canis Major the Greater Dog, Sirius also earns the nickname of the Dog Star. In this 1820 illustration, the canine is depicted as a greyhound, which is chasing Lepus, the Latin name for hare.
Shakespeare mentioned greyhounds in a number of his plays. The breed also featured in some early publicity. This is the title page from the Bard's 1594 poem 'Lucrece.' The text reads: 'Lucrece. London. Printed by Richard Field, for John Harrison; and are to be sold at the signe of the white Greyhound in Paules Churchyard. 1594'. The White Greyhound was a London inn.
The Romans very likely obtained their greyhounds from the Greeks. This floor mosaic in Oderzo, Italy, details a hare hunting scene using greyhounds. Oderzo was a notable crossroad in the Roman Empire.
This pharmacy bottle dated back to circa 1460-80 is decorated with a greyhound chasing a hare. Such imagery reflected the fact that while canines in general were at times looked down upon in the medieval period, greyhounds were highly valued.
Sixteen different ships of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Greyhound. The first was launched in 1545. The last, HMS Greyhound (H05), was a G-class destroyer launched in 1935 and sunk by German dive bombers in 1941 during a sea battle.
Using greyhounds for racing took off in 1919 with the inauguration of the first professional dog-racing track at Emeryville, in California. However, Florida became the US capital of the sport after dog racing was introduced there in 1922 (pictured).
Modern greyhound racing has its origins in coursing. In 1912, American Owen Patrick Smith invented the mechanical lure, used to motivate racing greyhounds. The press described it as the "automatic rabbit."
The first purpose-built track race in England opened in 1926. Pictured are racing greyhounds with their bowler-hatted handlers at the Belle Vie racetrack in Manchester, England, in 1927.
The greyhound like the horse, its fellow four-legged racing animal, was fêted as a valuable asset and much pampered by owners. Here, a dog is protected from the elements as it waits for the next race.
The most famous dog racing venue in the United Kingdom was White City Stadium in Shepherd's Bush, London, seen here in 1935. The stadium was built for the 1908 Olympic Games and then became a venue for various sports during its history, particularly greyhound racing and speedway after the Second World War. It was demolished in 1985.
The greyhound's graceful, slender, and powerful characteristics was not lost on automobile manufactures. Ford named one of their vehicles the "Greyhound," a two-door V8 model that sported a chrome greyhound mascot on the hood.
Spectators cheer on a race at Clapton Stadium in London in 1937. Greyhound racing became very popular with the working classes in both Britain and the United States.
While not as popular as it once was, greyhound racing still has its fans. In the US, it's the the sixth largest spectator sport in the nation. It's also a favorite sport in Australia. Today, racing is undertaken under strict veterinary supervision.
The greyhound has long enjoyed an association with celebrity. In this 1931 photograph taken in London, Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw pets a greyhound while Charlie Chaplin stands to his right. Also in the picture is English aviation pioneer Amy Johnson, and Lord and Lady Astor.
The greyhound breed is noted for being very gentle and non-confrontational. Indeed, these intelligent dogs are affectionate and mild-natured and make ideal pets. And they've been around for millennia!
What happens to all those racing greyhounds after they've retired? In the UK, the Greyhound Trust finds homes for dogs whose career has ended and are in need of some tender loving care. In the US, Greyhound Pets of America undertakes a similar responsibility.
Sources: (DogTime) (FastFriends) (EarthSky) (Motor Sport Magazine) (The Royal Mint) (Smithsonian Magazine) (Greyhound Trust) (Greyhound Pets of America)
See also: These breeds make the best family dogs
Without doubt the most famous branding of the greyhound name is that adopted by Greyhound Lines. Founded in Minnesota in 1914, the bus company serves more than 3,800 destinations across North America. Pictured is the first Streamliner bus leaving the Greyhound coach depot in St. Louis, in 1932.
The most iconic Greyhound bus ever built is the 1950s-era Scenicruiser, designed by Raymond Loewy and manufactured exclusively for Greyhound by General Motors.
On October 25, 1975, Evel Knievel successfully jumped 14 Greyhound buses at Kings Island near Cincinnati, Ohio. The stuntman held the record for jumping the most buses on a Harley-Davidson for 24 years.
The Tom Hanks movie 'Greyhound' offers a dramatized account of the Battle of the Atlantic, though Greyhound is a nod to the nickname of the U.S.S. Keeling.
On April 20, 1988, Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997) attended a charity greyhound racing event at Wembley Stadium in London. She arrived wearing a green Hackett waistcoat and a Catherine Walker suit, rounded off with a bow tie.
In 1953, the White Greyhound of Richmond was commissioned for display at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Bearing a shield of Tudor livery, white and green, with a Tudor Rose ensigned by a Royal Crown, the greyhound depicted is known as one of the "Queen's Beasts." The ancestral "beast" also appears on coins made by the royal mint.
British-American stop-motion photography pioneer Edweard James Muybridge (1830–1904) is famous for his Horse in Motion sequence of images, made in 1878. But Muybridge also photographed a greyhound running at speed to create a similar moving image.
The only breed of dog mentioned by name in the Bible is the greyhound (Proverbs 30:29-31, King James Version).
The greyhound evolved from the ancient keen-eyed sighthound, a dog breed that goes all the way back to the Egyptians and the Celts. They were used for hunting, and were kept as companions.
The sighthound breed is very similar to that of the greyhound. These domesticated hunters with long, slender bodies appear in temple drawings from 6,000 BCE in the city of Catal-Huyuk, in present-day Turkey.
Greek historian Arrian of the Roman period elaborated on the theory that the greyhound evolved first from the vertragus breed (from the Latin vertragus, a word of Celtic origin), itself an early breed of sighthound.
The Romans introduced the vertragus to Great Britain. Occupying troops from continental Europe either had with them in the North of England, or certainly knew of, the vertragus and its hunting prowess.
In England, many inns and taverns were being named after the noble and elegant dog breed. Pictured is the Greyhound Inn, a 16th-century coaching inn located at Corfe Castle in Dorset.
Cute, slender, and intelligent, the greyhound is also known for its speed, agility, and keen sight. A dog breed that's been around for millennia, the greyhound was originally used for hunting. It later became synonymous with racing, but has always been favored as a pet, its sweet and loving nature making it an ideal family companion.
Click through and appreciate the greyhound and its place in history.
The greyhound and its place in history
This slender dog breed is super intelligent and fast... very fast!
LIFESTYLE Dogs
Cute, slender, and intelligent, the greyhound is also known for its speed, agility, and keen sight. A dog breed that's been around for millennia, the greyhound was originally used for hunting. It later became synonymous with racing, but has always been favored as a pet, its sweet and loving nature making it an ideal family companion.
Click through and appreciate the greyhound and its place in history.