Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 1988 NEIGHBOURHOOD CAT

It was a treat to see some of the items in the rare book collection at the Linda Hall Library in KC last month. Here's Bruce showing me a first edition of Galileo's Siderius Nuncius; also, here's Edward Topsell's "The History of Four-footed Beasts" (1607). #books #science #histsci

1960, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Photo by Cock Tholens If a cat doesn’t want to be lifted, a cat doesn’t want to be lifted.

Iran...

HAPPY EASTER! Cat Bella and bunny Poppy, in 2017 in The Dodo daily

CAT “BOSS” AND HER CHILD, who lived in an Amsterdam hospital. Photo found in an album of hospital staff, late 19th, early 20th century.

修行中 （鳥取市滝山｜アーカイブ） Training Day (Takiyama, Tottori City | Archive) #猫モノクローム写真 #MonochromeMeow

A cat stuck in a tree (in 1980) waits patiently for the firefighters and casually walks down the rescue ladder. Another (in 2024) protested loudly the entire time, climbing higher and higher whenever her rescuers got close. Clinging to a wobbly top branch, she was finally caught and rescued.

I don’t know the story here but my best guess is “tripped over the cat going down stairs in the dark but still love him”. Photo from my collection, 1958.

Edward Gorey drew cats constantly in his illustrated books as companions to his characters. His cats were typically small, black, and observant. Gorey personally owned multiple cats throughout his life. He once said he always had at least one, and at times had seven living in his Cape Cod home.

An Animated History of Cats: How Over 10,000 Years the Cat Went from Wild Predator to Sofa Sidekick

Library of Congress, US Photo taken in 1915, titled: “FOX PUPS RAISED BY CAT”

瞑想 （鳥取市滝山｜アーカイブ） Meditation (Takiyama, Tottori City | Archive) #静かな時間 #QuietMoments

1930s fashion police, feline division

In Chinese #folklore, Wu Zetian, the only woman in Chinese history to claim the imperial throne, once cherished palace cats. But after having Empress Wang and Consort Xiao executed, she was cursed with chilling words: “May I be reborn a cat, and you a mouse, so I may 1/2 #caturday

73 years ago, in February 1953, a storm claimed 1800 lives when Dutch dykes gave way, causing massive floods. The photos show refugees taking their cats, including the first one, of a boy—a newspaper read—‘stiffly clutching his kitten, which he did not want to leave behind.’

Archive cat at the Archives Nationales in Dakar.

Harvard Art Museums Photo: 1940s-1950s, by Lyonel Feininge Harvard cat has seen enough and turns her back

ご機嫌の朝 （鳥取市滝山｜アーカイブ） A cheerful morning (Takiyama, Tottori City | Archive) #笑顔 #Smile

M.C. Escher, famed for interlocking fish, birds and reptiles, was also a devoted cat lover. In 1919 he left architecture for graphic arts, mastering wood‑ and linocuts. His landlady gave him a white cat, his constant companion and muse, featured in a woodcut.

From the book 'How the Amazon Queen Fought the Prince of Egypt' Art by Tamara Bower March 22, 2005 40 pages Watercolor and Gouache Her archive of cat related art is unrivaled. I thank her very much for everything she does. #MenWithCats

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