We Nebraskans are used to suffering through blisteringly hot days in late summer, and we sometimes refer to them as the Dog Days. The phrase comes from the Roman calendar, which referred to the period spanning July 24 to August 24 as
diēs caniculārēs, associated with the star Sirius. Sirius is called the Dog Star, and is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major.
Another definition from
Wikipedia seems ironic considering the anything-but-slow performance of the stock market this summer:
In recent years, the phrase “Dog Days” or “Dog Days of Summer” have also found new meanings. The term has frequently been used in reference to the American stock market. Typically, summer is a very slow time for the stock market, and additionally, poorly performing stocks with little future potential are frequently known as “dogs”.
While we may not always associate hot weather with constellations, finance or dogs, the waning days of summer do seem like a good time to celebrate our canine companions. A search in
Nebraska Memories brings up a
wealth of images of dogs in their various roles. The
pampered household pet in the image above must have been the darling of it’s family.
Others were working dogs pulling travois for their native masters or herding cattle for their rancher owners. Still others were entertainers like the
dog walking on the tight rope depicted here. I hope it wasn’t too scared doing the high wire act! Or they may simply have been overheated pooches getting into the shade like this one in front of
Blondy’s Barber Shop and Pool Hall in Brainard.
Visit
Nebraska Memories to search for or browse through many more historical images digitized from photographs, negatives, postcards, maps, lantern slides, books and other materials.
Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. Nebraska Memories is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see
<
http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories> for more information, or contact
Beth Goble, Government Information Services Director, or
Devra Dragos ,Technology & Access Services Director.
