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catistory

@catistory.bsky.social

A whiskered walk through history. (Art) historians based in Amsterdam, sharing stories of cats in history, art, and literature from around the world.

167 Posts4983 Follower213 Folgt
catistory@catistory.bsky.social · 3w ago

From our private archive: cat Poes (in 2022) caught in the guinea pig cage, whose occupants are surprisingly unbothered. Poes, meanwhile, seems most confused by the situation

A cat (tabby-white) sits inside a guinea pig-cage. The two ginger and white-black-ginger guinea pigs go about their business at the other end of the cage.
catistory@catistory.bsky.social · last mo.

From our private archive: Zina, our beautiful black cat, hard at work on printer duty. With unwavering concentration, she supervised every page that emerged from the printer (circa 2020).She passed away in January at the age of 17 and is deeply missed

Black cat Zina sitting on top of a Canon printer, intently watching a freshly printed page emerge. The cat's head is lowered in concentration, creating the impression of carefully reading the document.
catistory@catistory.bsky.social · last mo.

CATS ON THEIR CAT BALCONIES, ca. 1950-1980. The cats watch each other, the street, and perhaps, via the mirrors, they spy on their neighbours. Barely visible on the street sign it says the “Van Houweningenstraat” in Amsterdam-West. Photographer unknown; it appears to be a photomontage.

In what appears to be a photomontage, we see two close-ups of parts of street gables, with two cat balconies: boxes projecting from the windows and covered with chicken wire. Inside both cat balconies a black-and-white cat watching the photographer. Also visible are two small mirrors attached to the gables, used by the inhabitants to see the street and who is standing downstairs in front of the door. Photo National Archives, The Netherlands.
catistory@catistory.bsky.social · 2mo ago

1962 NEXT TO THE CAT ON THE WALL lies what appears to be the photographer Van der Chijs’ coat. I imagine he first stopped to pet her, then realised he should photograph her, put down his coat, and got to work. The flirting cat was surely rewarded with a few strokes (and perhaps a head bunt).

In this black-and-white photograph in the collection of the National Archive of the Netherlands, a tabby cat with white paws and a white chin lies on a low wall, with grass or corn behind her and trees in the distance. A coat or other piece of fabric lies beside her on the wall. The sun shines on the cat, casting a long shadow. She gazes longingly into the camera, her head resting on the wall and one paw draped casually over the edge.
catistory@catistory.bsky.social · 2mo ago

In September 1955, as filming of Giant (1956) was coming to an end, James Dean got a Siamese kitten from co-star Elizabeth Taylor whom he had befriended during the film’s shooting. He named the cat Marcus, after his cousin.

James Dean leans over a table toward a cat in the foreground, in a dimly lit room with a bright window and shelves behind him.
catistory@catistory.bsky.social · 3mo ago

1920-1930. Collection Hillebrands Archive of Drenthe, The Netherlands Two sisters sit behind their family home. The cat—paws almost seeming to light up—sits comfortably between them on a stool (or throne) covered with a Persian rug.

At the back on old house two sisters sit on chairs, one with a cup of tea in her hand. They are clearly dressed in 1920 cloths. They look very alike, their faces but there are also parallels in their clothing and posture (they both wear a skirt, light cloths and both have their legs crossed). The stool the cat sits on is placed slightly in front of them and in between them. Four white paws of the tabby are visible and more white on stomach and neck. The three of them all face the camera, the women seem to suppress a smile
catistory@catistory.bsky.social · 3mo ago

1910-1930. Archive Drenthe, collection Ter Haar, The Netherlands A happy cat in what seems to be an uncomfortable pose. The woman holding the cat has more reason to be happy (with such a cat!), but, oddly, seems not.

A woman looks at the cat she holds, her right arm is under the cat, her left hand she holds around the cat’s neck. She looks stern and not pleased. The cat lies, belly up, in her arms and looks at the camera. He or she seems very content. Behind them there is a curtain.
catistory@catistory.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Jean Cocteau in the early 1950s, holding Madeleine, the Siamese cat that often appeared in his portraits. “I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul.” — Jean Cocteau

A black‑and‑white photograph of Jean Cocteau indoors, gently holding a Siamese cat named Madeleine. He wears a light shirt and vest, and soft window light falls behind them.