MANXIMUS - a Manx

This is the story of 'Manximus' who, as his name suggests, was a White Manx male born in the United States in 1903. We find him and his mother, an odd-eyed white female, and his littermate, in The U.S Studbook and Register for Cats published in 1906. 

Very few Manx were registered in the United States during this early period, so we are fortunate to have these photos, the one shown here being of his dam 'Snow' with two kittens, 'Snow Baby' and 'Manximus' who is looking over the basket towards the camera.

Read the story of Manixmus at http://www.cat-o-pedia.org/manximus.html

FRANCINE LITTLE PRINCESS, white Persian, born 1956.

We always feel like we've accomplished something when we are finally able to locate an identification for an artifact in our collection.

Numerous years ago, The CFA Foundation purchased photos and negatives of a White Persian from an online sale. They arrived with a letter from Francine Puckett of Eagle Creek, Oregon, dated 1958, requesting prints of the photograph. Sadly, no identification of the cat, just mention of "the white cat from the Portland show". 

Recently, while scanning the 1958 CFA Yearbook, lo and behold, there is the photo in an ad for Francine cattery. The cat is Quad Ch FRANCINE LITTLE PRINCESS, a blue-eyed white, born April 24, 1956, registered in both ACFA and CFA.

Photos are by Mossbarger Photography, Portland, Oregon.

Historical Artifacts - Louis Wain

This is an illustration drawn by Louis Wain. It's from a linen children's book, "Fairy Tales" published in 1895 by Tuck & Sons.

Photo courtesy of The CFA Foundation. 

Toronto Cat Fanciers - 1958

Here's a look at exhibitors at the Canadian National Cat Club show held in Toronto, Ontario, in August, 1958.

(Left to right) Mrs. Marie Wilson with BLUE GABLES SWEET REGARDLESS, a winning Blue-eyed White Persian; Mr. Harold Millbeck with BARSTIS’ EASTER PARADE BUNNY, Best Tortie; Phyllis Sayer with SKYWAY’S LISA DE PHIL-BET, a Shaded Silver female and winner of the Best Longhair Kitten award in the All-Breed show; unidentified, with a Black Persian; Mrs. Fred Remick with BLUE GABLES SNOW ANGEL, Golden-eyed White Persian female who won the coveted title of Best Cat in Show; Mrs. Hazel Hill with HAZEL’S CUDDLES, Best Blue Longhair and Best Champion.


From the December 1958 issue of Our Cats

Early Himalayan-Persian

The Himalayan has come a long way!

This is Mr. Brian Stirling-Webb's BRIARRY MORENNA, named Best Longhair Kitten at the Kensington, UK show in 1958. She is "the first of this breed to attain this high honour."

Photo from the October 1958 issue of Our Cats

An imported cat from Thailand - WONG MAU

This photo of Wong Mau is from the June 1952 issue of Cats Magazine.

Wong Mau was a hybrid imported from Thailand, and three breeds trace their lineage back to her - Burmese, Siamese and Tonkinese
 

Her pedigree is all "Unknown" cats. 

        Unknown
    Unknown
    |   Unknown
Wong Mau, Dec-1930, Sable Burmese (IMP), F
    |   Unknown
    Unknown
        Unknown

Cat Show Photographer - Gordon Laughner

A cat show photographer from the mid 20th century - Mr. Gordon Laughner, Los Angeles. He acted as official show photographer for about 8 shows each year in the southern California area during the 1950s.

The setup he used at cat shows included a 45 Crown Graphic Camera using an Ektar 5-1/2" lens, two stop lighting units, and a display type corrugated paper as a background.

From the December 1958 issue of "Our Cats"

Legends of the Cat Fancy - Mrs. Sedcole, and PAQUITA, a Burmese

"PAQUITA" - SABLE BURMESE, born JUNE 1956

The story of 'Paquita' runs parallel with the dissemination of All-American Burmese bloodlines across the globe. In this case, from American lines which had first made their way to Great Britain, and then from there to New Zealand and later, also to Australia.

'Paquita' was one of the first three Burmese cats to be exported from the UK to New Zealand. She was a young but prolific breeder and in her genetic make-up was a little dilute surprise! Her daughter 'Ransein Talisman', who was also a sable Burmese, was bred to Ch. Merrick Viking, another sable Burmese, and from this combination was born the first All-Blue litter of Burmese in the Southern Hemisphere.

'Paquita' was a favourite of Mrs. Sedcole. You can now read her story at  http://www.cat-o-pedia.org/paquita.html

Abyssinians!

All-Eastern Abyssinian winners from 1957.

Left: CH CALSPUSS DELIRE, ruddy female, born Jun.14.1956.
Right: CH CAPER CAT ISIS OF CALSPUSS, ruddy female, born Apr.23.1954.

The All-Eastern wins were part of the All-American awards program that was scored annually by "Cats Magazine". CFA withdrew from the scoring for All-American awards in 1976, when it started its own national awards program.

Photo from the Jan/Feb 1959 issue of Cat World.

Look at these cats

Each cat file on The History Project web site comes with a FACTFILE, which includes pedigree, registration, and ownership information on the individual cat, plus a photo. 

We've long known that the information in the Factfiles is important historical pedigree data. 

To make it even easier to locate all this data, we have compiled all 300+ Factfiles into a slideshow, which you can find at http://cat-o-pedia.org/factfiles/album/

People of the Past

The History Project web site has a "People Portraits of the Past" page, which takes a look at the early breeders, some even with their cats.  These are the fanciers, judges, authors and breeders, who have made an impact in some form or another, to the collective wealth of knowledge, and growth of the Cat Fancy. 

You can see their photo collection at http://cat-o-pedia.org/people.html 

Mrs. Gertrude Taylor

Mrs. Gertrude Taylor (Taylor-Sweenie or Taylor-Sweeney in some references), of Detroit, MI, was a very active person in the cat fancy in its early years.

She was a CFA judge, and served as Vice-President of CFA in 1918 and 1922-1927. She was elected CFA President in 1928 and served until 1933. In 1933, she was part of a group of 8 clubs and several officers and judges who broke away from CFA to form the United Cat Clubs of America, Inc.

She was active as editor and publisher of The Cat Courier for numerous years, with the magazine celebrating it's 25th anniversary in 1937. In addition, she operated a 'Cattery and Kennel Supplies' business in Detroit.

Mrs. Nikki Shuttleworth

An icon in the Great Lakes Region was Nikki Horner of the famous SHAWNEE cattery. The ad below shows Nikki during her very early days in the cat fancy with her Siamese. She also bred Persians, American Shorthair, and Burmese. Nikki is alo acknowledged as the creator of the Bombay breed. As shown in following photos, Nikki was the breeder of several cats that achieved CFA's Highest wins.

 

Necolia (Nikki) Willoughby Slobodian Horner Shuttleworth
From All-Pets Magazine, March, 1948
Courtesy of The CFA Foundation, Inc.

 Courtesy of The CFA Foundation, Inc. 

 Courtesy of The CFA Foundation, Inc.

 

Early U.S. Cat Magazine -- The Cat Gazette

On May 1, 1938 The Cat Courier was combined with The Cat Gazette, which had started publication in October, 1934, as the "official" magazine of The Cat Fanciers' Association. The magazine was originally published in New Jersey, and moved to Dearborn, Michigan in 1934.

Note that CFA stud books were not printed while this magazine was in publication, as it included a listing of new registrations each month. Stud Book Volumes XVI through XXI were printed in the magazine.

 The Cat Gazette, May, 1938
Courtesy of The CFA Foundation, Inc. 

Starting in December, 1939, The Cat Gazette was merged into the All-Pets Magazine, which was published by Lightner Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois. The publication of new CFA registrations ceased with the change in ownership, and CFA again began printing Stud Books with Volume XXII.