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

William Henry Fox Talbot, a pioneer in the field of photography, captured this poignant image in 1844. "Effigy of Sir W. Scott's favourite dog Maida, by the side of the hall door at Abbotsford," showcases Talbot's mastery of the calotype process, a technique he invented. The photograph depicts a stone sculpture of Maida, the beloved dog of Sir Walter Scott, a renowned Scottish novelist and poet. The inscription at the base of the statue reads "Maida, " - a testament to the enduring bond between man and animal. This work, now housed at the Art Institute of Chicago, is a testament to the early development of photography and a poignant reminder of the power of art to immortalize cherished memories.