I have long been an admirer of Neil Burridge's work with bronze weapons. This latest is exquisite and it is of particular interest that he has used one of his oldest moulds that has stood the test of time and use. Work like this is invaluable in shaping our imaginations to think more clearly about the Bronze Age and the richness of its material culture. ... See MoreSee Less
Colleagues at History Hit are looking for a Bullmastiff-cross (or similar) to portray Keeper, the beloved and fiercely loyal dog of Emily Brontë. It is for a documentary they are making about the Brontë sisters. This is not a film I am involved with personally but just helping to put the word out. Emily’s dog was called Keeper. I also once had a dog called Keeper (named after the Brontë dog), though he was a gentle GSP (German Shorthaired Pointer). I adored him. The original Keeper was Emily Brontë’s constant companion and famously protective. Keeper howled for days outside her bedroom door after she died and accompanied her coffin at her funeral. Charlotte Brontë described their bond: “She [Emily] loved the thing [Keeper] — savage as he was. He loved her. He would sit at her side, and gaze up into her face with a dumb, devoted, wistful look…”I suspect that Charlotte used the word ‘savage’ to denote a wildness, similar to that of her sister’s, rather than overt aggressiveness. Even so it seems that Keeper was very much a one-person dog and, as the name implies Emily’s guardian. Emily would walk for hours over the Yorkshire Moors in all weathers with Keeper at her side. Described as a bullmastiff-cross, the actual breeding is uncertain. However we have an excellent drawing by Emily Brontë showing exactly what he looked like. A hand-coloured version of Emily's drawing and another artist’s depiction are below. Taking Emily'd drawing a a reliable facsimile, what other breed/type do you think Keeper may have been crossed with? That little muzzle is quite different to that of a standard bullmastiff, though there is enough hint of the body to suggest a similarly muscular build. The other artist's impression has simply gone pretty much full-on bullmastiff.So if you, or anyone you know, have a similar looking dog, let me know and I’ll pass your details on to the producers. Filming will take place in Yorkshire this summer. ... See MoreSee Less
