 |
| Undated photo of Sally and her best friend, Mary Louise Allen. |
Once
married and living in Great Neck, NY, she filled the house with canine friends,
even advertising in the Brooklyn Eagle when one of them ran away from the pack. Her youngest son, Johnny, recalled once
bringing one, Sandy McNab, to church! Her
interest in some breeds ( Pomeranians, for example) found her expertise listed
in “The Breeders and Exhibitors of Dogs:Guide Book and Directory for 1910: List
of Names, Kennels of Breeds and Judges, Handlers, Etc…”.
 |
| Johnny Farnham(4 years old), neighbor(in carriage) and Sandy McNab |
Dogs
played a significant part in her studio life, as well. The Dean of American Illustration, Frederick Gruger,
who rented a studio at 57 W. 57th St. on the top floor near Sally’s,
recorded in his diary(January 16, 1923), “Sally’s going out. I heard the dogs scamper along the hall and be
called back and I could hear Sally telling them what for-she said, “Now you get
right in there and don’t either of you dare touch the parrot, Kamak, Kamak, you
hear me? After ‘while Eddie(Whitmack)
will come along and scrape his stick along the Farnham door and that will bring
about a riot. The dogs will throw
themselves madly against the panels and bark and scratch the panels as though
they intended tearing everything to bits.”
He would also complain that when he borrowed clay from Sally, it would
be covered in dog hair! The dogs were
such a popular feature in the studio, they even made a couple of Sally’s
Christmas cards!
This love found its way into her work, as well. Her estate catalogue recorded a 5” tall
bronze French Bull Dog and Pekingese.
 |
| Northeast Auctions, Porstmouth, NH, 2003 auction |
The
New York Times noted on July 22, 1923 that she was in Hollywood “planning a
bronze of Strongheart, the motion picture dog.”
Strongheart was the German Shepard forerunner of Rin Tin Tin. It is unclear whether the work was a private
or public commission as it never was realized past her clay version.
 |
| Clay model of Strongheart |
In October, 1931 she donated her time in creating a set of bronze tablets
commemorating the furry lives lost during a devastating fire on February 11,
1930 at Irene Castle’s animal shelter, Orphans of the Storm, in
Riverwoods(Deerfield), Il. The works were once placed on either side of the front door, but are now in storage.
 |
| Orphans of the Storm, Deerfield, Il., 1931 |
Aside
from dogs, Sally’s lifelong love was horses, a motif seen over and over again
in her work. After her marriage, she returned to her
hometown every September to participate in the Ogdensburg Horse Fair, where she
was celebrated as much for her celebrity, as for her exceptional equestrian
skills.
 |
| Sally James near St. John's Episcopal Church, Ogdensburg, NY, undated |
Dogs and horses were but just some of her beloved tribe. She had a studio cat named Giminy Christmas,
who found fame after falling down seven stories and lived to meow about it. She purchased an American Bald Eagle in 1905
at a Fish and Hunt exposition in NY. Her
parrots were often so loud, reporters were
amused when she would move cage and all into the bath tub with threats of
further action if they didn’t pipe down.
John Baragwanath, Neysa McMein’s husband, also recalled a scene with her
pet monkey, “The high spot of the dinner…was Sally’s monkey. Dessert was crepes suzette, and Sally,
evidently following a tradition, gave a nice warm crepe to the little pet who immediately
draped it around his shoulders like a shawl and sat there in quiet comfort for
the rest of the evening.”
 |
| Sally and her sister, Lucia, with furry friend in the library at the family home in Ogdensburg, NY. |
