Cats

May 1940. "Cotton Carnival -- Memphis, Tennessee." 35mm nitrate negative by Marion Post Wolcott for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

1896. "U.S.S. Maine -- berth deck cooks." And their feline mascot. 8x10 inch glass negative by Edward H. Hart, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.

New York circa 1922. "Fontanne." The British actress Lynn Fontanne, for decades a fixture of the Broadway stage along with husband Alfred Lunt (not pictured). 5x7 glass negative, George Grantham Bain Collection. View full size.

November 1937. "Curb service -- Newport News, Virginia." Two cheeseburgers and one mouse sandwich, coming right up. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

January 1939. Chicot Farms, Arkansas. "Husband and wife on porch of farm house." Photo by Russell Lee, Farm Security Administration. View full size.

January 21, 1984. Our cat is in her favorite place, Father having provided himself with a protective covering using the Sunday papers. The day before was his 82nd birthday, and everybody - the whole family plus grandkids - have gathered this Saturday for the celebration and traditional Big Deal Dinner in the dining room. Other photos in this set show that Mother has made a prime rib with pan-roasted potatoes.

She was originally my brother's cat; we adopted her some 14 or so years earlier when he got a teaching job in Spain. He'd named her "Radio Mary Fubash." My folks wisely chose to call her "Kitty." Outside, when not doing typical cat things like lurking in the bushes, she'd follow Father around all over as he worked in the yard or just relaxed. I think that some dog DNA must have somehow sneaked into her ancestry. I shot this on 35mm Kodacolor 100. View full size.

September 1938. "Storefront in Altheimer, Arkansas." Lately I've been inspecting every new post for cats. I am pretty sure this has only the one. 35mm nitrate negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

Detroit circa 1903. "Foundry and machine shop, Leland & Faulconer Mfg. Co." With bearded proprietors Robert Faulconer (left) and Henry Leland standing at either end, and two shop mascots in the top row. In 1905 the company, which made car engines, merged with Cadillac Automobile Co. Some years after selling Cadillac to General Motors, Leland started the Lincoln Motor Co., which was eventually bought out by Ford. Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size.