Help a crazy cat lady compile a collection of photographs and paintings.

May 2, 2012 6:41 PM

Help me find black and white vintage photographs or old paintings that feature at least one person and at least one cat.

I'm looking for stuff along the lines of these: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Paintings should be no later than mid 20th century but 19th century and earlier preferred.

posted by MaryDellamorte to Pets & Animals (11 answers total)

Vintage Cat Ladies on Buzzfeed.
posted by SugarAndSass at 6:48 PM on May 2, 2012 [2 favorites]

Here are some paintings:

Fur Traders Descending the Missouri, by George Caleb Bingham
Leonardo Da Vinci, study of Madonna and Child and Cat
A couple of Felix Vallotton nudes with cats
Pierre-Auguste Renoir Woman with Cat
Pierre Carrier-Belleuse, Ballerina with Cat
posted by drlith at 7:13 PM on May 2, 2012 [1 favorite]

Wikipaintings to the rescue!
posted by emeiji at 7:16 PM on May 2, 2012

You know I think that 3 is a memorial (post-mortem) photograph. That kind of photo isn't unusual for the period (1880-1890s-ish?) but that it's a pet is very surprising. I have not seen many of those. I bet that was a child of wealthy parents.
posted by Toekneesan at 7:21 PM on May 2, 2012

http://justcats-deb.blogspot.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/smithsonian/2998440147/

http://okgoods.tumblr.com/post/4554362632/unexplainable-black-and-white-photos-via-peonies

http://fieldguide35.blogspot.com/2010/11/collection-vintage-cat-photos.html

http://vi.sualize.us/stvirus/old/?page=9&waterflow#page12
(only a couple but make sure to go halfway down the page to the guy with an army helmet with a kitten on it, very cute but weird and why isn't he wearing pants...I'm so curious)
posted by stray thoughts at 7:31 PM on May 2, 2012

Check out Old-Timey Cats.
posted by therewithal at 8:03 PM on May 2, 2012

There are a few here at the Kattenkabinet. Refresh for new images.
posted by dtp at 8:10 PM on May 2, 2012

Shorpy?
posted by mon-ma-tron at 8:45 PM on May 2, 2012

Cats in Art from the Hairpin has some paintings that fit your criteria
posted by colbeagle at 9:01 PM on May 2, 2012

I love this photo of Marlon Brando, his cat, and his midcentury turntable, though I'm not sure of the year (or the photographer).
posted by lisa g at 9:15 PM on May 2, 2012

Mark Twain and friend

More writers and their cats (some of them are beyond mid-20th c.)
posted by dlugoczaj at 6:58 AM on May 3, 2012