Figure 1 – Possibly the earliest photograph of a cat. From the Houghton Library at Harvard University and in the public domain in the United States because of its age.

All of this dog and cat stuff is bringing us awfully close to “cute and cuddly animal pictures,” and I don’t want to be accused of that. So perhaps it is time to close this particular discussion with the image of Figure 1 of a daguerreotype showing a kitten in Harvard University’s Houghton Library.

According to Harvard this may, in fact be, the earliest cat photograph ever taken, or at least existing. It is rather blurred unfortunately; so the inherent cuteness of this long ago kitty is not really clear. And since all we can really say is that this image dates from somewhere between 1840 and 1860, it may well have competitors for “first” from the many daguerreotypes of “child with cat,” “woman with cat,” and “man with cat.”

While we ailurophiles and people dodging doggie doo-doo on the sidewalk know the answer, ultimately, photography is mute on the subject of which is the better or nobler pet, a cat or a dog. Imagine that you live in ancient Egypt in a home potentially filled with scorpions, rats, and snakes. It was your cat that protected you ever so fiercely. The lioness goddess Bastet was fiercely protective and warlike. As a result cats were sacred to Bast and they were mummified. Herodotus described how, when there was a fire, people would guard it to be certain that no cat ran into the flame. This does not speak to a great familiarity with the behavior of cats. When a cat died, the household would go into mourning just like for a human relative. They would often shave their eyebrows to signify their loss. Diodorus Siculus, described witnessing a Roman accidentally kill an Egyptian cat around 60 BC. An angry mob quickly gathered and mete out the required penalty of death for such an offense.

Many people claim that cats have never really gotten over being worshipped. This perhaps explains the view that “Dogs have masters, while cats have staff.”

Figure 1 – CDV c1865 of Lincoln’s dog “Fido,” in the public domain in the United States because of its age.

We seem to have started down the path of pet photographs; so in honor of last night’s presidential debate I thought I would post Figure1 showing Abraham Lincoln’s dog, Fido. Now recognize that Lincoln was clearly a cat man and had a tendency towards bringing stray cats home, and when your home is the White House…

But Fido has this important official photograph and an intriguing tail [sic] to wag and tell. Fido lived with the Lincoln’s in Springfield, Illinois. He was yellow, mixed-breed dog, who the story goes would accompany Lincoln on his errands in town. Unfortunately, Fido made a crucial error. He was terrified by the booming fireworks during the celebration of Lincoln’s election and Lincoln decided that taking Fido to Washington would be a great mistake, much to young Tad and Willy’s disappointment.

The Lincolns arranged for the Roll family to care for the dog while the Lincolns were in Washington. Like Harris the Turtle, Fido was to have the run of the house, and Lincoln specified that even if his paws were muddy that Fido was to be allowed to come into the house, and he was not to be scolded for it nor was he to be locked out during family meals Indeed, the Lincolns left a favorite horsehair sofa with the Roll family for their pampered-pet.

As a result, Fido was still living with the Rolls family when Lincoln was assassinated.  When the funeral procession stopped in at the Lincoln family home in Springfield, Fido was there to say good-bye. CDVs like that of Figure 1 were sold as Lincoln memorabilia following his assassination.

Unfortunately, Fido himself met a sad and violent end. John Roll recounted the story of Fido’s death: ”One day the dog, in a playful manner, put his dirty paws upon a drunken man sitting on the street curbing [who] in his drunken rage, thrust a knife into the body of poor old Fido. He was buried by loving hands. So Fido, just a poor yellow dog met the fate of his illustrious master- Assassination.”

Figure 1 – Detroit Publishing Company “Tommy Atkins,1905” from the US LOC and in the public domain in the United States because of its age.

You know that if people photographed cats in silly positions that it wouldn’t be long before someone started photographing dogs in silly poses as well. After all, while cats need to be courted and coaxed, a dog will do it for bones or scraps. So it turns out that  a century before Wegman’s famous dog photographs amused us, people were already dressing up and photographing canines.

I’m offering up one of my favorites from 1905 entitled “Tommy Atkins” see Figure 1. Pipe smoking animals were very popular in the Pre-Surgeon General’s Report days. I remember a chimpanzee at the Central Park Zoo, back in the 1960s, who was famous for smoking cigars. And in this case there is more than a casual resemblance of, well let me give you a hint,

“…we shall fight on the beaches,
we shall fight on the landing grounds,
we shall fight in the fields and in the streets,
we shall fight in the hills;
we shall never surrender…”

Now British readers will certainly know who Tommy Atkins is, others maybe not. Tommy Atkins is a term for English soldiers particularly those in World War I. It is like the American term GI Joe. It is one of those curious issues in history. But the earliest use of the term appears to come from 1743 in a letter sent from Jamaica about a mutiny among the troops: “except for those from N. America ye Marines and Tommy Atkins behaved splendidly”.

Despite this the common and romantic belief persists, supported by the Imperial War Museum, that the name was chosen by the Duke of Wellington who was impressed by a soldier’s bravery  at the Battle of Boxtel in 1794 during the Flanders Campaign. After a terrible fight the Duke saw what he considered to be the most exemplary man-at-arms, Private Thomas Atkins, who despite terrible mortal wounds said, “It’s all right, sir. It’s all in a day’s work.”

And hats off to Harry Patch the last British combat veteran of World War I, the “Last Fighting Tommy.” Patch passed away on July 25, 2009 at the age of 111.

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.