Purfection. 1939, most probably Hungary, Fortepan archives

This picture is also in a book my dad gave me, it's called The Life, History, and Magic of the Cat. On the opposite page is this picture of the photographer.

When you can’t find anything good on Netflix and need something else to watch … 📷 1960, Donegal, Ireland, photographed by Denis Tynan, National Library of Ireland

In September 1919, Escher moved to Haarlem to study architecture. His landlady in Haarlem gifted Escher a white cat, who stayed his pet and companion during his student years. Escher lovingly portrayed his cat in several wood cuts. Etches of a white cat by M.C. Escher

Photographic art, probably from the 1970s or early 80s. National archive, The Netherlands

Gabriel Metsu depicted genre scenes featuring cats with evident delight. In contrast to many other 17th-century paintings featuring cats, Metsu did not put the playful antics of cats centre stage, but tender moments, with cats about to jump on a woman's lap or affectionately sitting at her feet.

During the medieval period, Christian monks frequently had feline companions. They often walked over manuscripts, but seldom did they dip their paws in ink before doing so, as seen in this Croatian manuscript. 📜 Manuscript, 15th century. Photo: Emir O. Filipovi 🎨 Filippo Balbi, 1855

In Dutch, ‘having a tomcat’ means having a hangover - likely from German roots linking tomcats to drinking. In Jan Steen’s 17th-c. paintings, cats often appear in chaotic, drunken scenes, either as victims or sneaky bystanders eyeing leftovers. 🎨 Jan Steen, c. 1674, Szepmuveszeti Museum, Budapest

Masaaki Miyazawa: Once Upon a White Night, 1981.

For #caturday quite a contemporary looking #Roman mosaic of a lion, 6th century C.E., made of stone and mortar. 🏛️ Brooklyn Museum (not on view for some mysterious reason...) 🏺 #archaeology 🗃️ #arthistory #history #art #mosaicmonday #cat #cats #catsofbluesky

Cats often wandered the studio of Dutch impressionist painter George Hendrik Breitner (1857-1923). On this photo, that served as study for a painting, a tabby cat finds a subtle haven beneath the sofa, where the model Geesje Kwak reclines. 📸 George Hendrik Breitner, 1893. RKD

Young astrophysicist Dr. Brian May, born #OTD in 1947, seen here with a black cat and his homemade Fabry-Pérot Spectrometer, the Red Special. Note the disk magnets in the pickups and the custom pulse-counting electronics. 🧪 🔭 Image: Brian May Archive

Amazing treasures of medieval legal history - the Catslechta ˙ (or Cat-sections) - an old Irish legal text on cats and part of an Old Irish legal compilation (the Senchas Már) #medievalsky

Cats and human love-making: somewhere between indifference, impatience, and disgust 📸 1963-1982. Photo by J. Vigeveno, RCE, the Netherlands 📸 1980s. A scene in Dordrecht. Photo by Ad Molendijk, Regionaal archief Dordrecht, the Netherlands ✏️ 1984. Drawing by Peter van Straten, Rijksmuseum

From the archive. “What makes cats especially loved in Turkey, and what can we learn from this special relationship?” Read more: www.sapiens.org/culture/cat-...

Last week we highlighted alley cats—tough and resilient. This week, felines living a slightly more comfortable life: gallivanting through the streets, getting chauffeured around, or just taking it easy at home.

Look what I spotted today in the open storage section of the Lancaster (PA) History Museum! A chalkware cat once owned by Harpo Marx that has become the mascot of the museum's children's program. #Harpo #Marx #Lancaster #cats

For centuries, cats roamed city streets and alleys in far greater numbers than today. Their lives were often harsh - beaten or killed for fur- yet some found kindness. The many streets and bridges named for cats remind us of how common they once were, and artists’ works reflect their fondness.

[June 28th, 1925] A photo of the young composer Dmitri Shostakovich with his cat #history #OTD #1920s

Calvin has a summer tip for you! If you're feeling hot, cool down by lying on a pile of old wood and sticks and you know what this is terrible advice so we're cancelling Calvin's summer tip privileges.

Street cats (and other hungry cats) used to frequent food shops in search of something to eat. In this 1889 painting and 1960s photograph, cats are shown at the threshold of a butcher’s shop and a bakery, returning from a trip for scraps. Whether they succeeded or not, the images don’t reveal.

"First live feline in cat show! Cat lovers at Bexhill, with few exceptions, know that the Cat Club's annual show is noted for the absence of any real-life, cuddly cats." Bexhill Observer 17.6.1967. #Bexhill #Sussex #Cats #History #1960s

Kitty noir. Photo from my collection, no date/info.

Cats rolling into the summer! 📸 1980, Groningen, Groningen Archives, The Netherlands 📸 1968, photographer by Cor Out, The Netherlands 📸 2014, photographer by Petr Bena 📸 2009, Kyoto, Japan 🎥 Catistory-Frank on his way to an Amsterdam park

Shoulder cats! Some cats enjoy sitting, hanging, or travelling on the shoulder of the human(s) they live with. It’s a symbol of trust, laziness, and love. The more opportunistic cats simply enjoy the high vantage point. Either way, it’s usually a win-win for both involved.

Amazing photo of Allen Crawford and Vic, the Wrangel Island expedition cat in the 1920s. collections.dartmouth.edu/archive/obje...

Cats in history as ships mascot. #cat #cats #history #navyhistory #navalhistory #worldwar1 #ww1

Cats & their families! 📸 1910-1922. ‘Portrait of the family Harting’, RKD, NL 📸 1922. Three generations women and a cat, RKD, NL 📸 1920-1930. Family with cat, possibly in Suriname or Indonesia, Rijksmuseum, NL 📸 Ca 1930. ‘Aunt Julie and aunt Louise’ with their cats, Heritage Leiden, NL

Scratching cat. Depiction of the spotted cat's behavior painted by Goon-Hoo, Korea, Joseon Era, 18th-19th century. #WorldHistory #History

Helen Gurley Brown spent decades as editor at Cosmo pushing a bold vision: independence, ambition, and pleasure on women’s own terms. Her style - sexy, sparkly, girlish - often clashed with 1970s feminist politics. She also loved cats. Her cat Lovey, once a sketch, is carved on her headstone.

Cat on shoe shine stand on sidewalk. Photo by Angel Rizzuto, 1960 #WorldHistory #History

Business lunch. This is from a negative in my collection, ca. 1970s. When I posted this to Bluesky previously, a sharp-eyed follower identified the likely location as the dock in front of the Lightship Ambrose in NYC!

Window cats: waiting, wondering, plotting. 📸1980s, Dordrecht, The Netherlands 📸1956, Claires Cake Shop, Padstow, Cornwall, UK 📸1980, Groningen, The Netherlands 📸1975, Utrecht, The Netherlands

Cat with a kitten statue on the roof of the castle of Château de Pierrefonds, France, built between 1393-1407. This is a 19th century grotesque. Grotesques are purely decorative, gargoyles are water spouts. #cat #cathistory #catlover #catsofbluesky

Dutch artist George Hendrik Breitner loved cats. They appear in his photos, set against the backdrop of Amsterdam, and once in a painting. Whether the cat is always the same one is unclear. In the second image, Marie Jordan, Breitner’s partner, holds a cat in her arms—possibly after its death.

Eighty-five years ago today, on 10 May 1940, Germany invaded France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Here are some photos of Western European war cats. Cont. in thread.

Photographing a cat can be hard even with modern day equipment, let alone with an early 20th century camera. For photographer Jacob Merkelbach, it must have been quite an effort to make pictures of the cats of Amsterdam couple Salomon and Johanna Kleerkoper. 📸 Stadsarchief Amsterdam

Cat stairs have existed since at least the 1950s, though likely earlier. They're practical for both humans and independent felines - no more running downstairs to open doors! These architectural features have become increasingly common worldwide.

In 1967, a tense rescue took place in Amsterdam, where an onlooker used a net to save a cat that had fallen into a canal. Despite his efforts, another bystander eventually had to climb down to safely retrieve the soaked feline. In the final photo, the cat is reunited with its relieved owner.

Have you heard of Orangey? Orangey, a red tabby, who won two PATSYs, starred in "Rhubarb" (1951) and "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961), plus other films and TV shows. Despite being called "the world's meanest cat" for his difficult behavior on set, he created memorable roles. Photo credits in thread.

FOUR EASTER BASCATS 📸ca 1910, Library of Congress, USA 📸1923, Library of Congress, USA 📸ca 1920-1930, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands 📸ca 1920-1930, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Before he was a writer, Haruki Murakami ran a jazz bar named after his cat. That quiet, watchful energy stayed with him. Cats wander through his novels almost like jazz riffs - precise, mysterious, and never quite explained. You’ll even find one on the cover of Kafka on the Shore. Credits in 🧵.

Arnold Genthe, famed for his photos of pre-1906 San Francisco, took at least 82 portraits of his cat Buzzer - often with women and children. He named every cat after the original, so it’s hard to tell who’s who. Still, each image captures his devotion. Photo credits in the thread. #catsofthepast

Altijd al duizenden handgeschreven documenten in één keer willen doorzoeken? Het kan nu via onze nieuwe zoekomgeving! Hanneke Ronnes van de @uva.nl en @catistory.bsky.social testte het en ontdekte dat de #geschiedenis van de #kat aangescherpt moet worden... noord-hollandsarchief.nl/nieuws/nieuw...

From authors to dancers, a collection of images of women who shared a love for stylish hats and cats. Photo credits in 🧵.

Political times call for political cats—here are a few: a ginger kitten in New Zealand with former PM John Key (2015), a cat on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, a bomb-surviving cat with Dutch politician Aad Costa (1991), and London’s famous Larry the cat!

Louis Wain's vibrant cat illustrations evolved from domestic scenes to intricate, psychedelic patterns. One of our writers noticed a resemblance between Wain's cats and her own cat, Digby, at the Animal Therapy exhibit at Museum of the Mind (Amsterdam). Credits in thread.

Louis Wain's vibrant cat illustrations, evolving from domestic scenes to intricate, psychedelic patterns. One of our writers noticed a resemblance between Wain's cats and her own cat, Digby, at the Animal Therapy exhibit at Museum of the Mind (Amsterdam). Credits in thread.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, a few cats and women from the late 19th to the early 21st century! Photo credits in thread. #catsofbluesky #historiccats #iwd2025

‘Leave us alone!’ Contrary to the common belief that cats are solitary creatures, many cats crave human attention. They can become quite irritated when their moments of quality time—lounging on a lap, being pet, or enjoying peaceful silence with their human—are interrupted. Photo credits in thread.