Archie Warhol

Archie was a dachshund owned by pop artist Andy Warhol and interior designer Jed Johnson.

Warhol treated Archie as his alter ego and depicted him in his works. Archie became a socialite, accompanying Warhol to photoshoots, parties, and European trips. A few years after they got Archie, Warhol and Johnson acquired another dachshund, Amos.

Life

After owning dozens of cats in the 1950s and 1960s, Andy Warhol's partner, Jed Johnson, convinced him they should get a dog in November 1972. Johnson settled on a black and tan shorthaired dachshund puppy, which they named Archie. He was named after the wisecracking character Archie Bunker in the popular TV series ''All in the Family''.

Warhol and Johnson doted on Archie. Warhol fed him Quarter Pounders from McDonald's, steak, sautéed liver, caviar, and rubbed Joy perfume on him. Archie wore a Tiffany's dog tag and a Hermès leash. He was always carried about by Warhol, who urged him to talk. Archie accompanied Warhol to his studio, art openings, parties, and restaurants. Warhol would also bring him to press conferences as his "alter ego" and "would deflect questions to rchiethat he did not want to answer."

In the Spring of 1973, Warhol and Archie traveled to Rome where Johnson was working with director Paul Morrissey on the films ''Flesh for Frankenstein'' (1973) and ''Blood for Dracula'' (1974) at Cinecittà Studios. They also visited France and Switzerland. Warhol brought Archie to Rome when he filmed his scenes in the film ''The Driver's Seat'' (1974) in August 1973 and October 1973. By the age of 1, Archie had reportedly crossed the Atlantic at least 10 times.

Archie gained fame as Warhol's companion, and people recognized him on the street. As a result, he had a high modeling fee. Warhol was a self-proclaimed stage mother and took Archie to photoshoots. They appeared in various publications such the ''New York Daily News'', the ''New York Post'', the Associated Press, '' L'Uomo Vogue'', and ''Esquire''. He also appeared with him in a Pioneer Electronics advertisement in 1974.
By 1975, Warhol and Johnson had expanded their family by purchasing a light brown shorthaired dachshund puppy, Amos. Amos and Archie were both Prestige Pets. Warhol often referred to Amos as Archie's dog. He told socialite Lee Radziwill in the March 1975 issue of ''Interview'' magazine that he got Amos as a Christmas present for Archie. He also revealed that Archie had recently mated with a female dachshund Prestige Pet at the pet store and was "going to be a father." "I took him over and he did his manly duty, and then the next day I brought Amos home, so that confused him, he thinks he got very quick results," Warhol said. "Unlike Archie who enjoyed the company of people and was very social, Amos was more like a regular dog," said Vincent Fremont, a member of Warhol's inner circle. Amos was photographed with Johnson and Warhol superstar Geraldine Smith in the February 1976 issue of ''Interview'' magazine.

Archie has been depicted in several paintings. Warhol painted a silkscreen portrait of Archie and Johnson. He was painted by Jamie Wyeth, and Warhol did a portrait of Amos for Archie. In 1977, Warhol told Barbara Isenberg of the ''Los Angeles Times'', "Archie has a really good beginning (art) collection."

Eventually, Warhol stopped taking Archie to events, certain that he would be entertained with Amos at home. They lived at 57 E 66th St on Manhattan's Upper East Side, and Johnson managed his decorating business from the fourth floor. Archie and Amos would use the elevator in the townhouse.

On August 3, 1980, Warhol told his diary: "It was Archie's birthday and he's eight or nine or even older. I gave him a box of Hartz Mountain treats." When Johnson moved out of Warhol's townhouse in December 1980, the two shared custody of Archie and Amos. Johnson would take them for the weekend to his apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. In a December 1986 diary entry, Warhol said:

Archie and Amos were sick last night. Jed picked them up and took them to the doctor's. Ran into him later, he was with Katy Jones, and he was talking about what was wrong with the dogs. They're just really getting old. I told Jed I'd give him one of the Dog paintings. Life's so short and a dog's life is even shorter—they'll both be going to heaven soon.

In February 1987, Warhol died following gallbladder surgery. Archie and Amos survived him, and they lived with Johnson until their deaths years later. According to Warhol's friend Paige Powell, they "lived to be about 21 years old."

In pop culture

Andy Warhol painted a silkscreen portrait of Archie and Jed Johnson.

In 1974, artist Martin Hoffman painted a portrait of Archie and Warhol at the Factory.

Archie was depicted in paintings and drawings by artist Jamie Wyeth in the exhibition "Andy Warhol and Jamie Wyeth Portraits of Each Other" at New York's Coe Kerr Gallery in 1976.

A photo of Archie dressed as the Pope was published in Warhol's book ''Exposures'' (1979).

A photo of Archie taken by Peter Hujar in 1975 was published in the book ''Black and White Dogs'' (1992) by Jean-Claude Suarès.

In 2022, a mixed media image by Warhol titled "Archie, the Dachshund" was included in the exhibition "A Thousand Hounds: A Walk with Dogs Through the History of Photography" at the UBS Paine Webber Art Gallery in New York.

See also

* List of individual dogs

Bibliography

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References

{{Andy Warhol

Individual dogs
1972 animal births
Andy Warhol
Dogs in popular culture
Celebrity animals