AKD 5.9
AKD 5.91956-2004
9.5 linear ft (in 14 doc boxes and 4 flat boxes).
Collection processed by Norma Rosado-Blake, , 2007; Additions, edits, and conversion of legacy finding aid by Brynn White, 2016
Click here for a printable PDF of the collection finding aid
The Chihuahua Club of America (CCA) records collects some of the work of the CCA in its efforts to help and promote the Chihuahua breed inside and outside the fancy. The collection’s newsletters, meeting minutes, and clippings give insight to many regional Chihuahua dog shows, the operations of the Club and the breed’s popularity from the 1950’s to the early 2000’s.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into six series:
Historical Information
The Club
The Chihuahua Club of America, founded in 1923, was created to develop a community of Chihuahua breeders and further the breed in the United States. The founders included: Mrs. Henrietta Proctor Donnell, Ida H. Garrett, Alice Dobbs, Rose Clark, M. R. Muller and Clara L. Dobbs. One of their most notable members included Helen Nowicki a Chihuahua breeder among other breeds and the editor of Dog World magazine.
Mrs. Dobbs was instrumental in establishing the annual specialty show, which was first conducted on 19 May 1928 at the Queensboro Kennel Club show with 42 dogs entries — 14 males and 28 females. Within a few years, the club decided to hold their annual meeting and specialty show in Chicago indefinitely. This move created a more centralized meeting location for members and ultimately the breed’s registration with the AKC grew from then on.
Since its inception, the club has been heavily involved in protecting the breed’s health through sponsored medical research, breeder surveys, and papers on topics such as the molera in the Chihuahua.
The Breed
The Chihuahua’s history dates back to the 9th century during the Toltec civilization in what is now known as Mexico. The Toltecs had what is known as the precursor to the Chihuahua, the Techichi, a small, long-haired dog. And this dog was believed to have been bred with the Xoloitzcuintli, the Mexician hairless dog to produce the Chihuahua as we know it today.
As history and power would have it, the Toltecs civilization gave way to the Aztecs (not by choice) during the 11th century. Chihuahuas were a central part of the Aztec life. Generally, each person owned a Chihuahua and upon an individual’s death, the dog was sacrificed and interned with the deceased. It was thought that the dog could protect and guide people through the afterlife.
Centuries later, the dog turned up on the Sistine chapel in Botticelli’s Italian fresco, Scenes from the Life of Moses. And centuries after that, the Chihuahua made its debut on American shores.
In 1888 James Watson, an author and judge, purchased a bitch named Manzanita. Owen Wister, author of The Virginia, also imported a Chihuahua named Caranza, which became the dog that produced the famous bloodlines, Meron and Perrito. Surprisingly, most of the imports at this time were long coats, not the popular smooth coat. And some believe the long coats were bred out of Pomeranians or Papillons. This is not true and in fact, the long-haired is a true variety of the breed.
Approximately, twenty years later the AKC recognized the breed in 1904 with the first registered Chihuahua Midget (2291) owned by H. Raynor of Texas. Within a couple of years, the breed had its first champion, Beppie (85317) owned by Mrs. L. A. McLean of New Jersey.
Some of the earliest breeders included Mrs. Harry S. Peaster of Philadelphia who owned the La Rex Doll Kennels. The kennel produced a record number of champions and provided the foundation stock for other well-established dogs. La Oro Kennel which, produced national champions like Ch. Ai Si Ora Principe, Ch. La Rey, La Oro Marinero and others, was owned by legendary breeder Anna B. Vinyard who served as president of CCA during the 1950s. Probably two of the most well noted Chihuahuas are Ch. Tejano Texas Kid who took a record 15 best in shows and Ch. Holiday Gold Jubilee who took 16 best in show and 81 Toy Group firsts. Ch. Holiday Gold Jubliee, aka Doc Holiday, is also notable on account of his record as the first Chihuahua to be ranked as number one in the Toy group in the United States.
It took over 50 years before the long and smooth coats were exhibited at dog shows. In 1952 they were separated into two varieties with the smooth coat the preferred variety as pets. One year prior to this, Ch. Attas’ Gretchen a smooth coat Chihuahua won the first all-breed Best in Show, a milestone for the breed.
The Chihuahua standard calls for a dog of no more than six pounds, which makes this breed the smallest in the canine world, however, what the breed lacks in statue he makes up for in character. He is a lively, alert and most surprising a hardy dog. Similar to other small breeds, the Chihuahua has a molera or an incomplete joining of the bones in the head. The bones eventually fuse together by the time they reach their third birthday. However, unlike other breeds, the Chihuahua is known to prefer their own breed.
Scope and Content
The collection includes meeting minutes dating back to the 1970s (many are also reproduced in the ACA newsletters). Most correspondence and other club administration materials date from the 1980s-2000s, with historical documentation of the breed standard, as well as notable pedigrees and champions. The dog show series contains an inclusive run of Specialty catalogs from 1983-2000, many marked, with select independent shows of various member clubs as well as pedigree lists, judge’s programs, premium lists, and event and win shots (1979-2004). A small collection of photographs and ribbons feature prominent breeder and handler Marta Hooks, including Ch. Snow B Bear d’Casa de Cris, the first-ever long-haired Chihuahua to win Best in Show.
The publications series contains an extensive selection of newsletters and periodicals produced by the ACA, regional clubs, and other Chihuahua fanciers. Further Chihuahua-themed books, directories, pamphlets, and clippings are also present. The latter document the breed’s popularity in the mid-1990s, peaking with the famous Taco Bell advertisement campaign. Scrapbooks and ephemera also appear in the collection, including various medallions, some for the club’s golden anniversary. A c. 1983 scrapbook of photos and clippings has been disassembled, with loose items interwoven. Another 2004 scrapbook, assembled from cut-out photos of club members and events, celebrates 100 years of the breed’s recognition by the AKC.
Provenance
A Gift from Darwin Delaney of the Chihuahua Club of America. New additions were made in 2016 from relevant materials located in the AKC Archives.
Access Restrictions
This material is open to research without restrictions.
Publishing and Use Restrictions
Many of the materials in this collection may still be under copyright. Please consult the Archivist.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item, date (if known)]; Chihuahua Club of America records, AKD 5.9, [Box and Folder number]; American Kennel Club Archives.