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Linking The Past To The Present - Part 5
When Gerald died in 1982, shortly after Gwen had passed away, his niece, Pearl Wood (nee Dudley), who knew Harry quite well through his friendship with her Uncle and Aunt, invited Harry to have whatever Stafford memorabilia he wanted when the Dudley's house was cleared.
Some older Stafford enthusiast may remember Pearl as she used to handle some of the Wychbury dogs, including Ch. Wychbury Kimson, who used to live with Pearl, but pictured here being handled by Gerald.
Pearl was an amazing artist, even though it was only a hobby. This is her original oil painting of Ch. Brindle Crescendo Of Wychbury:
Speaking of oil paintings, Gerald purchased an original oil of a very early specimen of the breed painted at sometime during the 1800's. This painting had hung in the Dudley's house for many years but, after their death, the house was sadly burgled. When Pearl arrived at the house, she found this oil painting on the floor and it had been trampled upon, which accounts for the damage you can see today.
You may be able to see on this painting, that the dog wears a metal collar, the type that the fighting dogs of old used to wear outside the ring for show - I assume the better the fighter, the better the collar!
