some strange pets, 1905

I have such a beguiling article today that I couldn't decide which bit of it to post, so it's all here below. It's about the exotic pets of the upper classes as recorded in a chat rag of 1905. This periodical, The Summary, was the world's first prison newspaper, an eight-page weekly digest of world and local news. Producing this paper gave inmates at the Elmira NY reformatory a groundbreaking chance to learn a good skill during their incarceration. The story of the Elmira reformatory is interesting, too. *** The prevailing craze for unusual pets was exemplified at the opera at Covent Garden the other nignt when a well-known lady brought with her a chameleon with a delicate chain round its neck which enabled it to run up and down the curtains of the box. This love of animals of an eccentric description is by no means a modern innovation; it may be traced back as far as the time of the Pharaohs. Quaint interest doubtless attaches to the juxtaposition of a beautiful woman and a wild beast. Mme. Bernhardt and her tame leopard were the sensation a couple of decades ago. Mrs. Arthur Cadogan, Lord Cadogan's sister-in-law, had a fancy for poisonous snakes. One small snake she frequently wore on her arm as a bracelet, but to the relief of her friends these strange pets died off one by one, and have not been replaced. More pleasure as a companion was the tame otter which used to follow Lord Linlithgow's sisters, Lady Dorothea and Lady Estella Hope, like a dog; this was a really intelligent and lovable creature, which has since been replaced by a tame hare whose family name is "Mr. Juggins." This interesting little animal is much in request at country house parties, to which it is often taken by its mistresses, for whom it has a great affection. A mongoose or a monkey is quite an ordinary domestic animal just now, and of the latter a pretty specimen is often to be seen coiled round the neck of its owner. A well-known West End tradesman received a terrible shock one morning when this lady extended her patronage to his shop. While settling for her purchases, something like a fur boa suddenly snatched up the change and examined it with two bright little eyes, chattering volubly the while. The poor man was heard appealing to the assistants as to whether it was real. A specimen of the green Egyptian beetle, which really seemed to know its owner, and never took flight when let loose to crawl about her hand, was selected as a pet by another well known lady. The history of the creature reached the Court, and an appointment was made for the beetle and its owner to have audience of the Queen, but a brutal friend, ignorant or thoughtless, flicked the poor beastie off its mistress's hand, where it was taking a quiet walk, and thereby administered a death blow alike to the beetle and the high hopes of the lady. Lady Anglesey possesses a marmoset no bigger than a mouse, which she used to carry about with her, but it has not been seen of late, so some evil has doubtless befallen it. Lady Constance Stuart-Richardson has given up her snakes. Another lady kept a hedgehog, which followed her about with great intelligence, but it had its drawbacks as a companion. The Rothschild goat was part of the decoration of Piccadilly at one time, but has never been replaced: more's the pity, as such touches add to the gayety of our London streets. The African meercat came much into favor during the war, and the little creatures are even now sometimes to be encountered in the park, led about like a dog by a string. They are pretty, intelligent little beasts, and very affectionate. It seems hard to get up a friendly interest in a lizard or chameleon, but each has its lover in the London world. Gen. St. Leger's daughter, Mrs. Holland, has several chameleons which spring about like crickets, and know her voice quite well, coming at her call. A tame green lizard, tied up with bright-hued ribbons, loves to creep to its mistress's shoulder where it clings for hours in perfect contentment. -- Some Strange Pets, by "Critic," in The Summary, Volume 33 No. 23, June 6 1905, p. 6.

excellent cat quote

"I would gladly constitute myself the advocate of some of the works of God which are despised by man, and among the foremost should come the ass and the cat." -- Chateaubriand -- from The Cat, Past and Present (translated from the French of Champfleury by Mrs. Cashiel Hoey. London: George Bell and Sons, 1885), p. 75. For a short introduction to Chateaubriand, try here! He is considered the primary mind behind French Romanticism.

sick day

Hi everyone. I hope you'll bear with me - it's proving to be tough getting Bac' (there she is up there) stabilized. She's interested in food, but very picky and not eating enough. This after she was doing so very well on anti - and pro - biotics. Oh dear. I can't ask too much from a 14-year old cat, but I guess I want to. *Update* It seems this dear kitty probably has intestinal cancer; I won't put her through biopsies to prove it, but that is what it's looking like. So. I will hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and treat her like a queen till it's time to set her free. Thank you for your kind thoughts - I know many of you have seen me go through this two times already (with Zozo and Sally).

meet deborah julian

copyright by and with kindest permission of the artist

Deborah Julian is a photographer with a degree in art history. For years she focused primarily on street photography. And then she adopted George, the first of what currently totals three cats. That would be George up there, starring in a photocollage work called "The Perfect Spot." I will let Deborah tell more of the story herself:

It was love at first sight. I was fascinated by George's intelligence and sense of fun and adventure and was soon taking daily photos of his activities. I have since adopted two more terrific cats, Sammy and Billy. Each cat has a different personality but all three never fail to make me laugh several times a day. I use my photos of my cats to create whimsical images that reflect their lively personalities and spirit. I am still a street photographer but my cats have become my favorite subjects.

As it happens this particular piece is a perfect mesh of her two enthusiasms: the cat tiles are from Amsterdam, and there's George, popped in as living counterpoint. Deborah also uses her cats as a refocus for well known master artworks, and it's beguiling and often laugh-out-loud funny how easily a cat becomes the axis for a new message - here's my favorite (from her Etsy shop), The Center of the Universe. You laughed, admit it. And if you're like Deborah and me, you thought - with all those artists and all those artists' cats, how many throw their unseen presence over great works of art?

Please go check out Deborah Julian's work at her Etsy shop here. I think you'll enjoy yourself.

vintage photo time

thank you john mcd!

I'm working on a new artist's post that I know will delight you. Meanwhile, so's you have something new: this sweetly cockeyed little snap says only, "Doris Daughter" on the back, and comes courtesy of Robin & Finchy's dad John McD.

(John, we are so totally doing that book together someday.)

early american squirrel

public domain; wikimedia commons

Around 1755-1760 in New England (probably Boston MA), a well-to-do boy and girl stand very politely as Mr. Badger paints their portrait. The little girl in yellow has a "teething coral," which were commonly given to children young enough to be cutting teeth, and actually made of coral. (Doesn't that sound like it would hurt?)

What we really want to see is the boy's prize. It's a squirrel on a chain, perched as if on a shelf due to the painter's limited technical ability. You see this stiff, collage-like quality a lot in early American painting, and I think it has its own charms. As for why the squirrel had to be on a chain, instead of a ribbon or such soft thing, remember squirrels open nuts with those teeth of theirs. It's got to be metal to keep your squirrel handy. Extra prize: read this very fine and interesting article I've found on "wild" Colonial American pets.

This oil painting is attributed to Joseph Badger (1707-1765).

vintage photo time

thanks again ampersand

July 1957. Hot enough that even a white dog has sought a bit of shade rather than any more games of fetch. However, he will keep the ball with him, thank you very much. Because you might put it away or something.

the pet museum has style, cate said so

Thank you so much, Cate at under the blanket! She gave us (and 14 other fine blogs) the Stylish Blogger Award. And now that means I must offer up a little something in return. The pressures of time always keep me from doing as much as I would like, but I'll try:

First of all, I must list seven things about me you may not know.
1. I went to private school in Singapore as a kid. (But that's not as fancy as it sounds - it was one year, and there wasn't any other place for American kids to go.)
2. When asked about my favorite book I always say "Jane Eyre," and then for a split second I think about Jeffrey Bernard's Reach for the Ground.
3. Elizabeth is named after my paternal grandmother.
4. I loved Scott Pilgrim Versus the World, both print and movie.
5. I am still trying to teach myself Italian after going to Florence 4 times.
6. I love me some Morris Day and the Time!
7. Last but not least, I was a professional pet sitter for about 3 years and it was in many ways the best (and hardest) job I ever had.

And now! Let's see about some awards going out - and this is going to take me a couple days, so hang with me. . .

My Ugly Kitty starring the wonderful Quasi

Katnip Lounge, starring a dozen cool cats and the best lounge evar

Ok I have to do some more tomorrow...the laundry calls...
and I'm back:

Paper Bag & String, Ann D's blog on cats, creativity and life's moments

El Diario de Ana, a gatorrista in the Canary Islands who takes no prisoners!

my dog, starring Penny and the thoughtful, pleasant writing of Parlance

Housecat Confidential: Fin the suburbiacat takes you into her world

ChetArt: Because I heart Chet Phillips' work

A Number of Things: Laura Brown in Britain reflects on many things and I am always educated and delighted

Cliff and Olivia: Two tuxies in Copenhagen

I have to stop because my lunch break is up but I feel that every single Museum fan deserves an award. I am always so happy when you stop by and say a word, and look forward to my visits to you!

adopt the internet day!

I wish I wasn't rushing but I couldn't let this go by without a quick post.
And . . . somebody out there adopt Twila and Genevieve please? (Yes, they're a couple posts down below here, too.)

sweet and beautiful

[Public domain] Wikimedia Commons

Not the best reproduction, but I wanted you to see the companion piece to Juan van der Hamen's "Still life with flowers and dog." Here, also from 1625, is another "Still life with flowers and dog," in which a puppy mouths his ball exactly as puppies do.

public service announcement: adopt genevieve and twila

I met Twila (top) and Genevieve at the Tukwila WA Petco while I was picking up a very hard to find food for Bac'. They'd been given a showcase courtesy of their agency, Rescue Every Dog, and here's their story:

"GENEVIEVE (white) & TWILA (brown tabby) are 4 yr old sisters who came to us due to their owner's illness. They are very friendly girls who like to be petted and brushed. Their favorite spot is in the window sunning or just watching the world. They hang out sleeping, playing and grooming each other. Fun, sweet and loving are words that describe these cats. They are great cats and will make great companions either together or individually. The adoption donations are $200 with both cats going to the same household. 135.00 each if they are adopted separately."

So their owner was too sick and had to give them up - oh, how sad. And if only you could have seen how hopefully they looked out of the little window of the Petco cubby, and how they watched me come and go with the most rapt attention - till they saw me go to the checkout counter, and Twila sighed, turned away, and curled up.

I promised them I'd do my best to help.

Do you have room for two mellow, pretty cats? Email support@rescueeverydog.org. Mail is

R.E.D.
Adoption & Adminstration Support Services
P.O. Box 1741
Kingston, WA 98346

Though email is better.

tough and beautiful

[Public domain] Wikimedia commons

First things first: the title of today's post could apply to Bac', who after a worrisome week is like a new cat. There hasn't been much sleep for me in all this, boo hoo, but I feel better too.

Now: This is an oil on linen from 1625 by Juan van der Hamen: Naturaleza muerta con florero y perro ("Still life with flowers and dog"). Van der Hamen (1596-1631) was a Flemish/Spanish painter attached to the courts of Phillip III and Phillip IV. During his short life he is credited with pioneering the Spanish variant of Flemish flower painting as well as other still-life subjects.

When I caught a glimpse of this painting two days ago I stopped dead in my tracks, captured by this work's perfect alchemy between the Dutch/Flemish flower + bauble set piece and the warm Spanish shadow wrapping it round the edges. Velasquez was a contemporary of van der Hamen's, if you can see that tonality here. The clock and jar of fruit up with the flowers speak of life's sweet things and how quickly they go by.

But that dog! That gorgeous, wise-eyed dog, with his powerful head and huge feet! Let me send you to a closeup of him on Flickr. The comments on that page lean toward this being a tricolored Spanish mastiff dog. I knew he had to be a mastiff of some sort.

vintage photo time

yet again i thank you, o bulk bin at ampersand

I wish you could hold this photo in your own hand. It's actually less than half this size, and the scan didn't do its lovely silvery blacks and grays justice, nor how crisp and jewellike it is.

Besides, the subject actually involves a cat among chickens! Granted, a cat being held by a very sensible looking youth, but look at the cat's ears! You cannot tell me that cat is not awash in temptation. Ohhhh. . . so much temptation.

Thank you for your continued good wishes - Bac' is doing a lot better, much better indeed, but now I am just waiting to see if she is truly improving. I have been in varying stages of worry since last Thursday so that's the main reason you haven't seen me much.

cat update and a few proverbs

Thank you so much for the good thoughts about my old cat. She's doing pretty well and we hope it's merely Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

But it's a new week and let's have a few more old proverbs about cats (from a book we've seen before, A Complete Collection of English Proverbs) . . .

- To love it as a cat loves mustard. (That is, not at all!)
- Knit my dog a pair of breeches and my cat a cod-piece. (The book doesn't explain this one.)
- When the weasel and the cat make a marriage it is an ill presage. (Hebrew; meaning that when two evil enemies make alliance, it bodes no good for the innocent.)
- A foot like a cat, a tail like a rat. (Two attributes of a fine greyhound.)
- A half-penny cat may look to a king. (A variant on the saying we all know.)
- Before the cat can lick her ear. (Very quickly.)

isn't every cat famous?

I confess right now, this is one of those "Curator mails it in" posts. I need -- most importantly among other things -- to swing by the vet with Bac'.

But I have something fun for you. Why don't you swing by Almost Famous Cats? I don't know how the folks there do it, but they have dug up photos of cats being held by notables of all varieties. Right now I see Vanessa Paradis, Sophia Loren, and The Mars Volta among others. How's that for variety?

cats love full bellies: meet jamie shelman

image copyright & provided by kindest permission of the artist

And that's why this print is titled, "Belly smackin good." I love it! If Elizabeth could I bet she'd high-five the dog after every successfully gobbled can of cat food.

This jolly scene is only one of many from the hand of Baltimore artist Jamie Shelman, whose Etsy shop is named The Dancing Cat for good reason. There you will see cats doing what they do best and what they do in their furry little dreams of domination: napping, bopping each other, fooling with a can of soda, dressing up as burritos. (You just have to go look.)

Jamie and husband/fellow artist Thomas Meyer both attended Rhode Island School of Design and have studied round the world. "More importantly (Jamie writes in her profile) we love the thought that our work can make someone happy even if just for a moment and possibly redirect their day or their lives in a positive direction. Tom and I, regardless of the black realities of the world that surrounds us, never pass thru a day without finding something ridiculous enough to make us laugh to the point of tears." And Jamie's drawing style, as free and gestural as kitties themselves, gets to the essence of fun in a few lines and a split second.

You should go over to Jamie's website too, and then their blog.