Scottish Pet Portraits |
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| (1) A Working Colley |
| (2) Patsy Ann - 'Official Greeter of Juneau, Alaska' |
| (3) Beckett |
| (4) Eric Knight - creator of 'Lassie' |
| (5) Stickeen by John Muir 1909 |
| (6) Balto |
| (7) Old Yeller |
| (8) Old Shep |
| (9) Greyfriars Bobby |
| (10) A Little Hero |
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| Patsy Ann, Official Greeter Patsy Ann, a Bull Terrier, was born in Portland, Oregon on October 12, 1929 and came to Juneau, Alaska as a pup. She died in Juneau on March 30, 1942. On the following day, a small crowd watched as her small coffin was lowered into Gastineau Channel just a short distance from where her sculpture now sits, watching and waiting with eternal patience, whether shrouded in fog, bathed in sunshine or covered in snow. Because of her unerring sense of the imminent arrival of each ship that visited Juneau and her faithful welcome at wharfside, Juneau Mayor Goldstein dubbed Patsy Ann 'Official Greeter of Juneau, Alaska' in 1934. Her distinctive gait slowed over the years due to rheumatism brought on by unscheduled dives into the cold waters of the Gastineau Channel and she grew overweight from the highliving of the ships' cooks. Still, she always headed for the docks, on the double, whenever steamship whistles shook old Juneau's boardwalks. |
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Patsy Ann was stone deaf from birth but she somehow 'heard' the whistles of approaching ships - long before they came into sight - and headed at a fast trot for the wharf. She was never wrong. If fact, on one memorable occasion, a crowd was given erroneous information and gathered at the wrong dock. Patsy Ann gazed at the crowd for a long moment, then turned and trotted to the correct dock. Between ship's visits, Patsy Ann made the rounds of her friends at local businesses. She had a vast number of friends, most of whom slipped her bits of food, including a daily candy bar from one fan. Patsy Ann was as much a fixture of beer parlors and hotel lobbies as any paying guest. |
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Old Juneau's Ambassador was the most famous canine west of the Mississippi, more photographed than Rin Tin Tin. During the 1930's her image adorned post cards sold by curio shops and for many visitors, she was the highlight of their visit to Juneau. Local author Carl Burrows published a 'little book' in 1939, simply titled Patsy Ann. Of no fixed address, Patsy Ann spent most of her nights in the Longshoreman's hall where, surrounded by kindred souls, she could run safely down the alleys of her bull terrier dreams. Fittingly, it was there she died gently on March 30, 1942. The next day, a crowd gathered as her tiny coffin was lowered into Gastineau channel. Patsy Ann captured the hearts of Juneau's citizens with her dignity, honesty and devotion to her duties as 'Official Greeter of Juneau, Alaska'. |
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| Fifty years after her death, her statue was commissioned by the 'Friends of Patsy Ann' and installed on the wharf she knew so well. Sculpted by New Mexican artist Anna Burke Harris, clippings of dog hair from all over the world were included in the bronze at the time of casting, symbolically uniting the spirit of dogs everywhere. On July 3, 1992 at 7:30 p.m., Patsy Ann, in her new incarnation, was presented to the world under blue skies with a balmy breeze in the air. |
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| Each year, hundreds of thousands of tourists visit Juneau from cruise ships and are welcomed on the dock by Patsy Ann, as they would have been in the 1930's. They are encouraged to 'greet her and touch her and in leaving, carry with you the blessings of friendship through your life's journey'. May her spirit live forever. |
This is the story of how the artist Anna Burke Harris
came to create the statue of Patsy Ann which now delights
everyone who sees it on the wharf which Patsy Ann knew so well.
A macquette is a model of a proposed work. This is a study in clay or plastilene (which I use), proportionate to the final size of work. In Patsy Ann's case, a little less than half the finished size. First, after sketches and drawings from living dogs (and I have several Bull Terrier couch potatoes!) I corrected these preliminaries to the proportions of Patsy Ann.
Patsy Ann did not have upright ears, a sin in show Bullies. But I would not have her criticized for this charming eccentricty. And her best photo showed her distinctly overweight from the high living of ship's cooks.
I knew she was deaf,and deaf animals use their eyes beautifully to compensate for hearing loss. Also, they are alert to movement to a keen degree.
So, the pose of her sitting and watching was natural. Also, the alert look and the ears slightly blown by the wind. And the 'down eared" expression of a dog watching the approach of a friend.
My ancestry is mixed, with a lot of indian, Lakota and Cherokee. From these ancestors, who love and respect the earth and all its creatures, came the belief in 'Spirit Pieces', whereby adding a piece of your spirit into the finished work will attain a small piece of immortality.
And thus the bits of fur and hair from those who knew of Patsy Ann. They were honouring their own selves and their beloved animals. These pieces were pressed into the wax before the final bronze casting.
Patsy Ann was sculpted in my studio in Albuquerque, New Mexico and cast at Shidoni Foundry which is one of the best. Then she was crated up and shipped to Alaska. I asked to have her go part of the way by ship.
I could not get to the statue unveiling but I heard it was a wonderful ceremony. I hope to be invited to come up and judge by one of the local dog club's shows so I can go and visit my beloved Juneau lass.
Anne Burke Harris
True dog stories (1) A Good Worker
True dog stories (3) Beckett True dog stories (4) Eric Knight - creator of 'Lassie' True dog stories (5) Stickeen by John Muir 1909 True Dog Stories (6) Balto True Dog Stories (7) Old Yeller
True Dog Stories (8) Old Shep
True dog stories (9) Greyfriars Bobby True dog stories (10) A Little Hero
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Dogs (2)
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