Figure 1 – Harry Pointer with his Brighton Cats c. 1870. In the public domain in the United States because of its age.

Are you getting really tired of silly photographs on Facebook of cats in compromising positions? Have you ever wondered just how long this lunacy has been going on? Well, as it turns out the answer is, close to one hundred and fifty years. Yes for 150 years cats have been subject to this kind of humiliation.

As it turns out during the 1870s, Brighton photographer Harry Pointer (1822-1889) became well known for a series of carte-de-visite photographs which featured his pet cats. Pointer began with conventional images of cats in baskets etc. But he soon realized the commercial value of cats in silly outfits and silly poses. These were collectively know as  “The Brighton Cats” series, which had as many as two hundred cat photographs.

Figure 1 is a portrait in the series of Pointer with his kitties. In case you are wondering who was taking the photograph this is explain in Figure2.

Figure 2 – Cat Photographer from Harry Pointer’s Brighton Cats c. 1870. In the public domain in the United States because of its age.