The dressed cats project

A brief introduction

This style of postcard was first popular in the early 1900s.  The photographer would set up a tableau, usually representing an everyday situation, and then photograph the animals with the tableau in the background.  Cats were most frequently photographed, but there are also photographs of dogs and rabbits.  I've divided my collection into three broad categories: black and white postcards, early colorised postcards, and mid-century postcards.  Within these broad categories, I've grouped together postcards on similar themes.  Bear in mind that these are somewhat fuzzy categories, and you will see that I've sometimes ignored a broad category theme in order to maintain a coherent subcategory.

Mary Weigley wrote a nice introduction to Harry Whittier Frees (1879-1953), the most famous of the dressed cats photographers.  Her article, published in the Pennsylvania Heritage Magazine, can be found here.  Many of the postcards in the "black and white" cards collection were based on photographs taken by Frees.