The case of the mysterious dog collar

It was a typical day in the Corporate Archives until I caught the faint scent of another canine. Tucked safely away in an archival box, was a dog collar with silver tag bearing the engraving: “For faithful services rendered 16th January 1893, J.B. Hooper, Bank of Montreal.” Not one to pass up such a rebarkable find about BMO’s history with dogs, I decided to do some digging about the collar and the dog it belonged to.

Photograph of Lyndon Smith and his dog, who wears a collar secured by a small padlock, Notman Albums, c. 1920.

The collar measures 46 centimeters in length and was secured by a small padlock. A photograph of another bank employee’s dog demonstrates how the collar would have been secured. Based on the collar’s length, it was intended for a medium-to-large sized dog. Perhaps the dog was a spaniel or a bulldog, two popular breeds during the Victorian period.

Photograph of James Brereton Hooper, Notman Albums, c. 1890.

The engraving on the collar tag also sheds some light into its origins. By cross referencing the name on the engraving with our 19th-century HR ledgers (many of which are available on our Collections page), I was able to find that J.B. (James Brereton) Hooper served at the Toronto main branch in 1893. Dogs of the 19th and early-20th centuries sometimes frequented branches, acting as companions and guardians. If the choice of a collar as a gift is any indication, Hooper’s dog seems to have served a similar function at Toronto main. One thing is certain, the wearer of this collar would have been the most handsomest member of the team!