Animation Source Forums

Markings-wise, I think this one looks a bit like Balto. A bit more wolfish, though:


Other than the brown eye, this one totally reminds me of Aleu:


Steele, expression and everything:


And this one like kinda like some of the extra dogs, such as this sled team member from the beginning of the movie, or perhaps even Ralph:

Wow! The first Steel look-alike is close! It's scary...

Time to kick this sucker up a few notches, and provide you guys with some stock photos of actual Siberian huskies taken during the 1901-1925 era:

The images below are marked, at the bottom of each, with the current owner (in most of these anyway)...and were taken from the excellent website Alaska Digital Archives (http://vilda.alaska.edu), which is a vast storehouse of historical photo, moving picture and document archives covering Alaskan history and Alaskana.

The links for historical information on each photo, from that website, are provided immediately below each of them. Now you can see what you're actually comparing these modern-day dogs to! What at least Siberian huskies really did look like at the time! (I will be posting an even longer one just after this, so mods, I hope you don't mind that. One post would have been a bit long, and the subject matter is slightly different, but still on topic.) Got a few shots of Leonhard Seppala and/or some of his famous dogs (including Scotty down below there, Fritz in one shot midway, and Togo up second from the top). Also a shot of "Wolf" in the first photo, a lead dog of Eli Smith, who became popular as a result of the book "Wolf The Storm Leader", a book written by Frank Caldwell in 1910 following his visit to Alaska. It is written in the first person from the dog's point of view, alleging (though this is not proven historically I believe) that the dog was actually a wolf (sort of a fan fiction! LOL). The book has been made into an e-book on Google, and you can read it (and see historical photos from the original book) here should you be interested: http://books.google.com/books/about/Wolf_the_storm_leader.html?id=hDEuAAAAYAAJ.

Enjoy!




http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=6548&REC=16




http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg11&CISOPTR=113&REC=12




http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg2&CISOPTR=3395&REC=5




http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg13&CISOPTR=2327&REC=13




http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg11&CISOPTR=94&REC=18




http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=6812&REC=12




http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=13423&REC=15




http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=14427&REC=28




http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg11&CISOPTR=19330&REC=8


A bit of humor from the time period (by the original photographer!):



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg2&CISOPTR=3091&REC=12


Famous Alaskan musher Leonhard Seppala with three of his Siberians, including Fritz (half brother of Togo) on the right



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=9566&REC=4




http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=13659&REC=9




http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg11&CISOPTR=1933&REC=23




http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=14312&REC=12

And here is what are obviously pictures of other dog breeds, and mixes, from the same time period...with as much information as I can deduce or provide in each case.

Yeah...there's a LOT of stuff here! But then, once I got rolling, it was hard to stop. Besides, it gives you a pretty thorough look at the dogs of the time, and mostly in dog sledding situations (usually mail teams). Don't shrug off a good thing, folks!


1. Probably some sort of spaniel, hanging out with his owner, a miner/prospector:



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg2&CISOPTR=2686&REC=11


2. Musher Milton Weil with his team of Alaskan Malamutes (note they're not the huge animals they've since become, though they still were generally larger than Siberians):



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=9507&REC=28


3. Probably a couple of mixed-breed dogs, with their owner, a miner



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg2&CISOPTR=3117&REC=13


4. Irish setter mixes (according to the historical information on the page linked below), each actually named on the back of the original photo, with their musher in 1912, posing after winning a race.



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=13006&REC=13


5. Two teams of dogs, composed of mixed-breeds (including Alaskan huskies), posing in Skagway, Alaska in late 1897.



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=14562&REC=23


6. What are most likely Alaskan huskies hitched to a dog sled



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=6563&REC=29


7. Various dogs, at least some being mixed breeds (others are uncertain) on a team



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=7968&REC=3


8. Large mixed-breed dogs (possibly St. Bernard or Great Pyrenees mixes)



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=9046&REC=8


9. Two large hounds working hard



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=13146&REC=10


10. Bob, another Irish setter mix (and a beautiful photo!).



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=13008&REC=6


11. The very famous "Baldy", a large Alaskan Husky who led famous Alaskan musher Scotty Allan's team during the famous dog sled races of the 1910s (before World War I began)...including the well-known "All-Alaska Sweepstakes" races.



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=2069&REC=23


12. "Sox", a mixed-breed husky



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg11&CISOPTR=15318&REC=17

and...



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg11&CISOPTR=15309&REC=26


13. Alaskan huskies and other mixed-breed dogs



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=13015&REC=27


14. Alaskan huskies



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=12999&REC=2


15. Siberian huskies and mixed-breed dogs



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=13018&REC=3


16. Siberian husky and mixed-breed dogs in Nome, 1910



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=13480&REC=4


17. Mixed-breed dogs



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=14415&REC=19


18. Mixed-breed dogs



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=14421&REC=22


19. Alaskan Malamutes



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=14423&REC=24


20. Alaskan Malamutes



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=14425&REC=25


21. A team of mixed-breed dogs, led by musher M.L.V. Smith arriving with mail at the Nome post office in December 1905 (which many people, including myself, have incorrectly identified, at some point, as this being Balto's team in Nome right at the end of the serum run...which it very clearly is not).



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=14142&REC=3


22. Mixed-breed dogs



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=13021&REC=29


23. Mixed-breed dogs



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg11&CISOPTR=19030&REC=4


24. Hound dog (unknown breed) and mixed-breed dogs



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg10&CISOPTR=313&REC=6


25. Siberian huskies and mixed-breed dogs



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg10&CISOPTR=279&REC=2


26. Mixed-breed dog and possibly a Saint Bernard



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg13&CISOPTR=132&REC=14


27. mixed-breed dogs



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg2&CISOPTR=999&REC=2


28. Siberian huskies and mixed-breed dogs



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg11&CISOPTR=18692&REC=12


29. Siberian huskies and mixed-breed dogs



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=6563&REC=3


30. mixed-breed dog



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg11&CISOPTR=5746&REC=2


31. a boy and his dog (breed or mix unknown)



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg10&CISOPTR=346&REC=15


32. Siberian huskies and mixed-breed dogs



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=14172&REC=18


33. mixed-breed dogs



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=13011&REC=30


34. Siberian huskies and mixed-breed dog



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=14177&REC=14


35. Alaskan huskies



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg11&CISOPTR=6378&REC=20


36. mixed-breed dogs



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg11&CISOPTR=2739&REC=7


37. Alaskan huskies



http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg11&CISOPTR=6771&REC=22


38. mixed-breed dogs (I have since misplaced the Alaska Digital Archives page on this, but I wanted to include it, as it shows a mail team at rest after, or before, a run back in Nome, Alaska in 1905)




39. Siberian huskies and mixed-breed

I think I may have a few repeats in that previous posting. Sorry guys! Eh heh...

Golly - I'm sure glad I posted all of those great pics, and made sure to put in all the source information. All that work certainly paid off. Look at all the responses!



(Mods - sorry for the repetitive posting...I hope you can understand why I did this...)

Jersey Cap'n,these are incredible,amazing,and downright fantastic.

lol Thank you, CK.

I haven't seen some of these pictures before. I love the last one, the dog in front is all fluffy xD

The one with the dogs on the roof? Or did you mean the one of the team laying down on the porch in front of the building?

Hmm, for someone reason that very last one wasn't loading for me. The laying down dog team.

Yeah, that last one is a slow loader. May be the site it's on, which is a blog. Not sure.

But yeah, that one of the team laying down is pretty cool, huh? And from 1905! That's quite some time ago! (And still in Nome to boot!)

Interesting Topic! Love the comparison, cant wait for more

Well, it must have taken a long time to collect all these.

The photos? Not terribly long. I know where to look. The work comes when you have to check the historical references, then posting them here (along with some information about each). And if there is little to no reaction (of a positive sort) after doing all of that work, it can be rather frustrating. It makes you wonder why you should even bother.