Merry Christmas to All!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us 

at The CFA Foundation and The History Project. 

The Los Angeles Cat Fanciers Show Catalog, 1917

Historical cat show catalogs still turn up ... occasionally.

This is a 5" x 7" catalog for the January 24-25-26, 1917 show held by the Los Angeles Cat Fanciers, an American Cat Association (ACA) club. The show had 120 entries, the majority of which were Longhairs(Persian). Shorthairs were a single Siamese and four Manx.

This catalog is part of the generous donation to the Feline Historical Museum by The Glendale Public Library.

Abyssinians, 1938

Abyssinians from the late 1930's - 

DJER-MER'S MAKONNE OF HIMAPHAN (b 1/31/1938, left) and DJER-MER'S DAVARK OF HIMAPHAN (b 1/20/1939, right). They are from the same breeding, one year apart:
Sire: Woodrooffe Ras Seyum, a son of Tim the Harvester
Dam: Djer-Mer's Yeshe Imabet of Newton
Owner: Mrs. Stanley Gibson

This photo is from April 1940, All-Pets Magazine. According the the July, 1940 issue of All-Pets, DJER-MER'S DAVARK OF HIMAPHAN was Best Cat in Show in Kansas City, with the judge commenting that "he was an almost perfect specimen".

Legends of the Cat Fancy - Connie Stewart

Connie Stewart, and her WISHES cattery, were well-known by CFA exhibitors around the world. Connie had a flair for showing and grooming.  No matter where in the world she showed, her cats were always in excellent condition and presented impeccably in the judging rings.

Connie's achevements were many. There was rarely an annual awards banquet in the early years of this century when Connie wasn't on stage accepting an award for either a kitten or a cat .. oftentimes with multiple cats receiving awards.

Her specialty was white Persians. GC, BW, NW, Wishes Lyric was CFA's 2000-2001 Best Cat; GC, BW, NW Melosito’s White Owl was Best Cat in 2006-2007; followed by the 2007-2008 Best Cat, GC, BW, NW Sunny Ridge Polar Express of Wishes.

Although, she did venture out into Exotics and still achieved the same success - GC, BW, NW D'Eden Lover Pepito of Wishes was Best Cat in 2011-2012.

GC, BW, NW Belamy’s Desiderata of Cinema, a calico Persian, was shown by Connie to Best Cat in 2013-2014.

GC, BW, NW Belamy’s Desiderata of Cinema, a calico Persian, CFA's  Best Cat in 2013-2014.

 Sadly, Connie passed away in December, 2015 and is missed by her many friends to this very day. 

Featured Cat - Benjamin of The Durhams

BENJAMIN OF THE DURHAMS
Orange (Red) Persian male
born 1901

The story of ‘Benjamin’ clearly demonstrates, that even when we have something to work with that is less than desirable in some trait, (in this case, the lack of a known pedigree), we can with careful planning and selection, produce something of value for our own or someone else’s breeding program.

Mrs. D'arcy Hildyard gave her honest opinion based upon her actual experience, and was only too willing to share the secret of her success. 

This, too, is a reminder, that the experience of one can be the learning curve of another when valuable information is shared. And only by sharing our advances, and how we came to achieve them, do we truly add to the pool of knowledge that will advance our particular breed or color variety. Share your knowledge, your lines and your acquired wisdom with others, as only then, will you be truly fulfilling your role as ‘a breeder’.

Complete story at http://www.cat-o-pedia.org/benjamin-of-the-durhams.html.

Louis Wain, "Fairy Tales"

Louis Wain illustrated a number of children's books during his career.  This one, Fairy Tales, was published, printed on linen, in 1895 by Raphael Tuck & Sons.

The original linen copy of this book is in the collection at the Feline Historical Museum in Alliance, OH.  Large prints of the drawings can be found on the walls of the Chldren's Library at the museum.

Potlatch Parade, 1913

From a 1913 edition of The Cat Courier, printed in Rochester, NY: 

The Queen City Cat Club of Seattle's float in the Potlatch Parade, held each mid-July in Seattle, Washington. The celebration was similar to the Mardi Gras.
 

The float had "cages containing twelve prize-winning cats, representing all classes, and alongside the cages were eight large, handsome silver cups won by the various cats on exhibit. Above the cages sat a huge papier mache cat, six feet in height, as though keeping guard. By the sides of the float marched four pages clothed to represent white, silver, black and brown cats, and wearing large cat head masks."