Standard Schnauzer Club of America Collection

Collection

Identifier: AKD-3-20

Staff Only

Scope and Contents Note

The Standard Schnauzer Club of America (SSCA) records include documentation of the club’s efforts to promote the Standard Schnauzer breed in the United States. A notable part of the collection are the club’s newsletters and periodicals, Pepper 'N Salt, documenting the club’s membership, dog shows, pedigrees and champions, breeders, meetings, finances, and articles of interest from 1951 to 2011. Other publications include versions of the SSCA Source Book, regional club publication Beards 'N Brows, and breed books in English and other languages. The collection also contains Board and General Meeting Minutes and agendas, correspondence, and membership records. A variety of National Specialty dog show records include audio-visual recordings, photographs and slides, memorabilia, catalogs and premium lists, and show records and pedigrees for individual Standard Schnauzers. There are approximately 2,400 slides mostly dating from the late 1970s to early 1980s and many educational videos. Long-time breeder Lt. Col. Frances Reynolds’ film footage is included as well as a photograph album depicting Reynolds and Salzundpfeffer Standard Schnauzers in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Dates

c. 1900-2013

Language of Materials

English. Some books in German and Italian.

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 AKC and/or the creator before publishing. Please consult the Archivist.

Club and Breed History

Club History The Schnauzer Club of America (also first known as the Wire-haired Pinscher Club) formed in 1925 for both Standard and Miniature Schnauzer fanciers. George D. Sloan of Brookmeade Kennels served as the club's first president.

The first national specialty show for Schnauzers was held in 1927, one day before Westminster, with sixty-one Miniature and Standard Schnauzer entries. The next national specialty show was held four years later. In 1933, the club separated into the Standard Schnauzer Club of America ("SSCA") and the American Miniature Schnauzer Club, after which the SSCA held annual national speciality shows (except during World War II, 1942-1945). The first breed standard was adopted in 1929 and has been revised several times since. The SSCA has published three breed Source Books to date, in 1968, 1973, and 1983, containing historical breed information. Updates are issued periodically by the club. The club also publishes Pepper 'N Salt, a comprehensive bi-monthly club newsletter and quarterly magazine.

More information on the SSCA can be found on its website, http://www.standardschnauzer.org/.

Breed History Descending from European herding and guarding breeds, Standard Schnauzers originate from Bavaria (now Germany), where they worked on farms and guarded owners and their possessions. Schnauzers can be found in paintings and statues dating as far back as the Middle Ages. In the mid-nineteenth century, the rough-coated, medium-sized Schnauzer was crossed with other breeds to create Miniature and Giant Schnauzers.

Originally called Wire-haired Pinschers, the breed was first exhibited in 1870s Germany. The breed became known as Schnauzers around 1900, about the time the first Schnauzers were entering the United States. While Standard Schnauzers became an AKC registered breed in 1904, the breed gained in popularity in America after World War I.

Standard Schnauzers are pepper and salt or black in color with a thick, wiry coat. They are a sturdy, athletic Working Class dog with energetic, intelligent, and sociable temperament. Standard Schnauzers participate in conformation, agility, obedience, and more recently, herding trials.

Sources: American Kennel Club. The Complete Dog Book, 20th ed. New York: Ballantine Books, 2006. Standard Schnauzer Club of America. The Standard Schnauzer, SSCA Source Book, Vol. III. California: Josten's/American Yearbook Co., 1983.

Physical Description

21.85 Linear feet (in 37 boxes (25 document boxes, one legal sized document box, 2 slide boxes, 4 flat photo boxes, one photograph box, 1 microfilm box, 3 AV boxes) and one file drawer)

Additional Description

Abstract

The Standard Schnauzer Club of America (SSCA) records include documentation of the club’s efforts to promote the Standard Schnauzer breed in the United States. A notable part of the collection are the club’s newsletters and periodicals, Pepper ‘N Salt, documenting the club’s membership, dog shows, pedigrees and champions, breeders, meetings, finances, and articles of interest from 1951 to 2011. Other publications include versions of the SSCA Source Book, regional club publication Beards ‘N Brows, and breed books in English and other languages. The collection also contains Board and General Meeting Minutes and agendas, correspondence, and membership records. A variety of National Specialty dog show records include audio-visual recordings, photographs and slides, memorabilia, catalogs, and show records and pedigrees for individual Standard Schnauzers. There are approximately 2,400 slides mostly dating from the late 1970s to early 1980s and many educational videos included in the collection. Long-time breeder Lt. Col. Frances Reynolds’ film footage is also included, along with a photograph album depicting Reynolds and Salzundpfeffer Standard Schnauzers in the 1970s and early 1980s.