A first glance at the cover of Nell Dickerson's photography collection Porch Dogs suggests another ho-hum House Beautiful‑style review of elegant Southern mansions. But look again: the proud spaniel is indeed claiming the top step of an expansive entryway, but those flowerpots could use some pruning--and are those strands of twinkle lights dangling from the post railings? Yes, this a real porch, and the rest of Dickerson's 100 canine portraits are just as down-home, kitschy, yet sometimes elegant, too.
Lamenting the demise of porch-sitting precipitated by the invention of air conditioning, Dickerson credits dogs with keeping the tradition alive, and separates her collection by favorite dog-sitting spots, including swing and bench dogs, shop dogs and yard dogs. Her spare sentences anthropomorphize her subjects, ascribing porch-sitting perspectives to each, and her photography is technically careful and evocative.
Dickerson's Gone: A Photographic Plea for Preservation established her passion for architectural preservation, and she obviously loves both structures and canines. She poses the pups perfectly, as in "Maggie and BB discuss what to do with the caged bird," where a terrier/cattle dog mix and lab/beagle relax on wicker rockers with an antique birdcage between them. With details including palmetto trees, big white columns and rusted barbecue drums, the settings all say "southern," none more so than the 1834 antebellum porch where poodle/Jack Russell/Maltese Stella receives callers, noting that "strangers are always so kind."
All a reader needs to fully enjoy this charming book is a pitcher of sweet tea, and maybe a folding fan. --Cheryl Krocker McKeon, bookseller, Book Passage, San Francisco