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Dorothy Page Whitney collection of Gordon Setter papers

 Collection
Identifier: AKE-20-7

Scope and Contents Note

The Dorothy Page Whitney collection of Gordon Setter papers includes records, clippings, and photographs of Ms. Page Whitney's activities related to Gordon Setters, including breeding, showing, club involvement, and field trial competitions. Included in the collection are records kept by Ms. Page Whitney related to Page's Kennel, under which she bred Gordon Setters beginning in 1949. Many of the records are handwritten and include details of litters, dog health, breeding information, and correspondence as well as pedigrees, registrations, certificates, and field trial results. Ms. Page Whitney was an active member of Gordon Setter clubs and retained some newsletters and yearbooks from the TarTan Gordon Setter Club and the Gordon Setter Club of America. She also retained numerous news clippings and articles regarding Page's kennel, their Gordon Setters, field trials, dog health, kennel equipment, and friends and family. Several articles she collected focus on Field Champion Page's Shuriridge Liz, the Pages' notable Gordon Setter. Show results including marked catalog pages are included for several other Gordon Setters, most dating from the late 1960s to 1970s. Finally, the collection contains casual photographs of family and friends with Gordon Setters at home and in the field, some publicity photographs, and some win shots.

Dates

  • c. 1917-2002
  • Majority of material found in 1950s-1970s

Language of Materials

Materials are in English.

Access Restrictions

This material is open to research without restrictions.

Publishing and Use Restrictions

Many of the materials, particularly photographs, may still be under copyright and require permission of the American Kennel Club and/or the creator before publishing. Please consult the Archivist.

Biographical Note

Dorothy (also known as "Dot" or "Dottie") Page Whitney (1916-2008) was a Gordon Setter owner and breeder in Connecticut.

She was born Dorothy S. Lindsay in Naskayuna, New York on July 24, 1916 and was raised in Schenectady, New York with two sisters by her parents, Frances and Andrew Lindsay. (1) She completed high school and married John O. Page (also known as "Jack") in the early to mid-1930s and lived in Bridgeport, Connecticut. (2)

John and Dorothy Page began breeding Gordon Setters in 1949 under the kennel name Page's and were very involved in the Gordon Setter Club of America and the TarTan Gordon Setter Club through the early 1980s. (3) The Pages were participants in the early-1950s field trial revival among Gordon Setter owners and members of the close-knit Field Trial Committee of the Gordon Setter Club of America. (3) The Pages were owners of the legendary Fld. Ch. Page's Shuriridge Liz, only the second Gordon Setter Field Champion in the United States in 1953 and the most successful Field Trial winner in breed history.

Dorothy later married veterinarian George Dana Whitney (1919-2013), although she continued to use the kennel name Page's in breeding show dogs. She died on November 3, 2008 in Orange, Connecticut, where she and George resided.

  1. (1) Connecticut Health Department.
  2. (2) 1940 United States Federal Census for Bridgeport, Fairfield, Connecticut, Page 20A, lines 32-33.
  3. (3) Look, Jean Sanger, and Anita Lustenberger.

Physical Description

7.625 Linear Feet (in 10 boxes (one mixed collection slide box, 6 document boxes, one photo box, one flat photo box, and one oversize flat box))

Abstract

The Dorothy Page Whitney collection of Gordon Setter papers includes records, clippings, and photographs of Ms. Page Whitney's activities related to Gordon Setters, including breeding, showing, club involvement, and field trial competitions. Included in the collection are records kept by Ms. Page Whitney related to Page's Kennel, under which she bred Gordon Setters beginning in 1949. Many of the records are handwritten and include details of litters, dog health, breeding information, and correspondence as well as pedigrees, registrations, certificates, and field trial results. Ms. Page Whitney was an active member of Gordon Setter clubs and retained some newsletters and yearbooks from the TarTan Gordon Setter Club and the Gordon Setter Club of America. She also retained numerous news clippings and articles regarding Page's kennel, their Gordon Setters, field trials, dog health, kennel equipment, and friends and family. Several articles she collected focus on Field Champion Page's Shuriridge Liz, the Pages' notable Gordon Setter. Show results including marked catalog pages are included for several other Gordon Setters, most dating from the late 1960s to 1970s. Finally, the collection contains casual photographs of family and friends with Gordon Setters at home and in the field, some publicity photographs, and some win shots.

Arrangement

The collection is divided into six series based on content and form:

  1. 1. Kennel and breeding records, c. 1950s-1982
  2. 2. Club records, 1957-1986
  3. 3. Correspondence, 1938-2002
  4. 4. Articles and news clippings, 1937-1994
  5. 5. Show and Field Trial records and awards, 1953-1980
  6. 6. Photographs and slides, c. 1917-1985

Provenance

Unknown.

Related Collections

The TarTan Gordon Setter Club, Inc. has an archives that includes Dorothy Page Whitney's club papers, some personal breeding records, American Field clippings about Gordon Setters, photographs, and possibly other items. Ms. Page Whitney was very active in the club, which was one of the few clubs offering field trials when interest and financial support waned in the late 1950s.

Separated Materials

One book, "Good Gun Dogs," has been added to the general AKC Library stacks.

  • Two boxes of TarTan Club materials (inventory available in the collection report).
Title
Guide to the Dorothy Page Whitney Collection of Gordon Setter Papers
Status
Under Revision
Author
Some initial processing by Brynn White; final processing and creation of finding aid by Katie Bednark
Date
2017
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the American Kennel Club Library & Archives Repository

Contact:
101 Park Avenue
5th floor
New York New York 10178 United States
2126968216