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Hang On There: 1914

1914. "Cats in coveralls on chin-up bar." Photo by Harry Whittier Frees, patient poser of anthropomorphic puppies and kitschy kittens. View full size.

1914. "Cats in coveralls on chin-up bar." Photo by Harry Whittier Frees, patient poser of anthropomorphic puppies and kitschy kittens. View full size.

 

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Frees used live subjects

...and had to spoil many negatives, as they moved and played around. His costumes helped hold a kitty or puppy to a pose, but were not confining to young, squirmy pets. Frees only photographed about 3 months a year because the work was so "nerve-racking."
See this.

Patiently posed

An article in Life Magazine from 1937 describes how the animals are patiently posed, and often distracted to get the right reaction. Many shots are spoiled and he uses a fast shutter speed.

There are other books written by and about the photographer where his method is described.

Stuffed Animals

"Harry Whittier Frees (1879–1953) was an American photographer who created novelty postcards and children's books based on his photographs of taxidermied animals." -from Wikipedia.

[Wikipedia's "support" for that assertion is merely another unsupported assertion. -tterrace]

Question

Does anyone know if these animals are alive or stuffed? Thanks.

[One hundred years later, they're neither. - Dave]

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