A few brave and strong cats from the archives of the University of Minnesota.

Cat Distracts Sailors and Royal Marines on HMS King George V during World War I. #History #WorldWar1 #WW1 #Cat #Caturday #CatsInHistory #FirstWorldWar #RoyalNavy #RoyalNavyHistory #MaritimeHistory #NavyHistory #Photograph

Art Institute Chicago, 1950-1955, photo by Ed van der Elsken For all the black cats (and the people who have loved them)

From the analog print archive: have a stray cat #caturday #catsofmastodon #fedicats

Archive Breda, photographed by Johan van Gurp, 1985 Another lazy weekend for cat Monet

This vintage 1913 French postcard features a black cat resting in a bed, with the caption "Porte Veine," meaning "bringer of luck." At the time, black cats were linked to superstition, so the card playfully presents the cat as a symbol of good fortune. via History Cool Kids

Gabriël Metsu, often overlooked among animal painters of the 17th century, depicted genre scenes featuring cats with evident delight. For those seeking genuine animal affection in art, Metsu’s works are a treasure trove.

1958 #Caturday story from the Times

Haarlem, The Netherlands, 1949 January malaise meets post-holiday blues

Looking into the new year like … 📷 Internet Archive, originally from Kittens and Cats: A Book of Tales by Eulalie Osgood Grover, 1911

Happy Holidays! Photo: Groningen Archives

In February 1975, the film “Harry and Tonto” premiered in Amsterdam. The movie, centred around an elderly man and his ginger cat, offered a unique incentive – anyone bringing their cat, preferably a ginger one, received a complimentary ticket. Hundreds of attendees accompanied by their cat.

しっかりしろ！ （鳥取市内・アーカイブ） Get it together! (Tottori City — Archive)

In 1961, the Dutch record Poes Poes Poes (Cat Cat Cat) was released with 8 songs dedicated to cats. The songs were written by Annie M.G. Schmidt and sung by comedian Hetty Blok. Its lyrics reflect on the daily life of house cats, with complains about the rainy weather and their stove like qualities.

"Japan is mourning the loss of Ken-chan, the beloved black cat who spent seven years trying to slip past the sliding doors of the Onomichi City Museum of Art."

Here’s a new weekend!

Genome study reveals milestone in history of cat domestication reut.rs/3XlVnU4

Julie de Graag made this woodcut in 1917—luckily for us, it was created after the fire that destroyed much of her earlier work. This cat is simply beautiful. “Seated Cat with Closed Eyes”, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Cats often wandered across early medieval manuscripts, sometimes leaving inky pawprints, as in a Croatian example. One Dutch monk even noted a cat had peed on his page, adding: “Cursed be that wretched cat.”

Cats of the past: 1969, Mayella and her honorary uncle Thutmose. I was midway between naming my cats after Egyptian pharaohs and characters from "To Kill A Mockingbird". When we adopted kitten Thutmose in 1966 we also adopted an older Russian Blue lady, Hatshepsut. Egyptologists will get the joke.

In very good company “Four women with a cat”, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution

🐅 Buffon's Natural history, . London: Printed for the Proprietor, and sold by H. D. Symonds, 1797-1807.. [Source]

Breitner’s tabby cat blends into the Persian carpets of his studio, often resting beneath the sofa where Geesje Kwak reclines. Though never painted, the cat appears in his photos and sketches. Breitner’s fondness for his feline muses reflected his view of cats as free, independent spirits.

Tonight I went to dinner with my friend Valerie to @theblackcatla It opened in 1966. You can read more about their history on their website. Here’s an excerpt: “The Black Cat was the site of the first documented LGBTQ civil rights demonstration in the nation.“ ⭐️🐈‍⬛⭐️🐈‍⬛⭐️🐈‍⬛⭐️🐈‍⬛⭐️🐈‍⬛⭐️

Especially for this autumn Caturday, a beautifully lit early cat-picture of a beautiful cat: “Cat licking its paw”, 1895. Taken by a photographer in Thomas Anshutz's circle, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

Something I love about archival films is that when someone had a couple feet of film left on a roll they'd often use it to film their cat. So many films finish with a few seconds of cats So, here's some cats from the 1950s and 60s. They were loved Scanned from 8mm films #Film #History #Cats

On January 13, 1960, a dyke north of Amsterdam burst, flooding a suburb and forcing residents to flee. Amid the chaos, many clutched their pets as lifeboats carried them to safety. In the days that followed, hundreds of animals, around fifty cats among them, were rescued from the rising waters.

62 years ago, on the 18th of October 1963, Félicette became the first cat to be launched into space. Biological data was collected and although Félicette survived, she was euthanized two months later so her brain could be studied. She remains the only cat to have ever been to space. #otd #history 🗃️

A cat stealing the show at a cat show in The Netherlands in 1987, photographed by Thom van Amsterdam, Westbrabants Archive

We have an announcement. For the next couple of weeks Orkney Library & Archive will be CLOSING AT 5PM. We apologise for any inconvenience. We hope this photograph of a giant (20lb/9kg!) cat from our Photographic Archive collection helps to make up for any disappointment.

In the 20th century, animal shelters evolved into places where animals were rescued for potential adoption, offering them a chance to embark on a new life. One notable example is the renowned Poezenboot (Cat Boat) in Amsterdam. 🎥 Beeld en Geluid, 1978

The history of cats isn’t always pleasant. In the 18th and 19th centuries, ‘cat clubbing’—beating a barrel with a cat inside—was common entertainment. Though banned in cities, people, including the upper class, still gathered outside Amsterdam to watch. It remained popular until the late 1800s.

A cat nurses her kittens — and a baby rabbit. A tender act of natural inclusivity. 1971, the Netherlands, West-Brabant Archives, The Netherlands

A Hungry Cat (null) by Eulalie Osgood Grover, from Kittens and Cats; a Book of Tales. Source: @nypl.bsky.social / Internet Archive https://pdimagearchive.org/images/ad16e241-2dc3-450d-97a2-c308ffda7c7e #table-settings #animals #cats #tea #collars #teacups #art #publicdomain

Picasso’s Cat Catching a Bird (1939) may seem simple, but many see it as a symbol of war. Painted as fascism rose in Europe, the violent cat and struggling bird conjure conflict and fear. Picasso said war shaped his art. In a later painting, the bird lies dead.

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