Effigy of Sir W. Scott's favourite dog Maida, by the side of the hall door at Abbotsford 1844

William Henry Fox Talbot made this salted paper print, "Effigy of Sir W. Scott's favourite dog Maida, by the side of the hall door at Abbotsford," during the rise of photography in the 19th century. As photography emerged, it captured not only images but also the social values of the time. Here, we see a sculpture of Maida, Sir Walter Scott’s deerhound, a symbol of loyalty and status, immortalized through Talbot's lens. Sir Walter Scott was an immensely popular writer at the time, whose stories often romanticized the highlands and Scotland's history. Note how the dog is captured in profile, like an Egyptian Pharaoh, emphasizing the emotional bond between humans and their pets, and the cultural significance of animals. Talbot's choice to photograph this sculpture highlights the intersection of art, literature, and the sentimental values of the Victorian era. It invites us to reflect on the power of images, both sculpted and photographic, to shape collective memory and cultural identity.