Recency bias is a thing. Here I was, unassumingly thinking that cats became a popular photography subject just recently, and came along with the dawn of the internet. But boy was I wrong. Turns out, they were a photographer-favorite ever since the camera was invented. But, just as much as it is nowadays, the ever-constant never-ending deluge of cat photos doesn’t give us enough time to appreciate them, and they’re in danger of being forever gone from our collective memory. But some people are determined to not let a good cat photo get forgotten, and collect vintage cat photos which are still relevant to this day.
The Brazilian journalist Paula Leite Moreira is one of those rare guardians of peculiarly interesting cat history. She has collected thousands of photos from the previous century, and shares them on her dedicated Instagram account. There you can see how cats shared the company of many famous and interesting personalities of the past, often partook in silly photoshoots, and much more. In other words, it’s been like it always was: cats were at the center of everyone’s attention.
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#1 Kurt Cobain
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Here’s what the artist told about herself. “I’m a journalist, I work with content production and I’ve always wanted to create a project where I could exercise my research and writing skills. At the beginning of the quarantine, still in 2020, after having seen a photo from the 19th century on the internet, I found myself interested in looking for more old records of cats. I loved delving into it and decided to share what I found, resulting in the realization of this project.”
#2 German Photographer Herbert Tobias With His Cat
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#3 British Henry Behrens, Considered The Smallest Man In The World At The Time, Was Seen Dancing To His Pet In Front Of His House
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Some of these photos are pure gold and make one wonder how the journalist finds them. Here’s how Paula does it. “I search through the internet in historical collections, archives, image banks and international magazines. When I find a random photo without a lot of reliable information, I look elsewhere until I get enough information about each photo.”
#4 Dalai Lama XIV
“None other than the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, enjoyed the company of his pet cat at his home in Dharamshala, India, circa 1979.”
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#5 Hollywood Star, American Actress And Producer Mary Pickford
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As for the relative success of her project, Paula gives all credit to cats. “Cats are the kings of the internet, right? So I’m not surprised at the amount of fans they have.” However, the Instagram account isn’t as popular as it deserves to be. “Many people tell me that the profile should have more followers.” And I agree! So give her a much-needed follow!
#6 Elizabeth Montgomery
“American actress Elizabeth Montgomery playing the character Samantha with the kitten Ling-Ling in the television series Bewitched in 1965.”
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#7 James Dean
“Take this wonderful sequence of photos of American actor James Dean with his kitten Marcus, a gift given by actress Elizabeth Taylor at the end of the filming of the Giant, in which they acted together, 1955.”
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Having in mind her collecting hobby, there’s no chance that Paula doesn’t have a cat. And she does. “I have an old kitten named Sofia. In January, she turns 18 years old, all of them she lived by my side. I am completely in love with her and am so grateful to keep her company for so many years.”
#8 Pierre Jamet’s Photo
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#9 George Harrison
“Take a look at these portraits of George Harrison accompanied by his Persian cat named Korky. High dose of cuteness, right? Surrey, United Kingdom, 1965.”
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“My message is: love and respect the cats. And if possible, adopt. There are many abandoned animals waiting for years for the chance to have a family and a safe home. Knowing you saved a life is the best reward ever.”
#10 Clint Eastwood
“A real treat for our eyes, American actor and filmmaker Clint Eastwood was portrayed at home, with his pussy, by photographer Larry Barbier, around 1960. Los Angeles, California. The United States.”
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#11 Judy Garland
“Scary tales can be very frightening, but nothing that the company of a kitten doesn’t solve. In the picture, American actress, singer, and dancer Judy Garland, in 1938.”
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#12 Grace Kelly
“All the beauty of the American actress Grace Kelly, who would later become Princess of Monaco, when posing with a pet, around 1948, for the lenses of photographer George Rinhart.”
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#13 Audrey Hepburn And Her Husband Mel Ferrer
“British actress Audrey Hepburn was shot with her husband, American actor and director Mel Ferrer, and their kitten, on their farm in Rome, Italy. 1955.”
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#14 Paul Mccartney
“None other than the star Paul McCartney sitting on the doorstep and enjoying the company of his dog Martha and two kittens that are in his lap. London, United Kingdom,1967.”
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#15 Canadian Actress And Singer Deanna Durbin
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#16 Janis Joplin
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#17
“A real leap of the cat immortalized by the lens of its human, Walter Chandoha, in 1951. The pussy, known as Loco, was rescued by the photographer from the freezing streets of New York and became his first feline model.”
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#18 British Model Celia Hammond
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#19
“Photo of a French soldier, who took some time to feed a small baby.”
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#20
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#21 American Pilot John Bevins Moisant
“American pilot John Bevins Moisant had the company of his kitten, Mademoiselle Fifi, in his portraits and even on his flights.”
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#22 French Photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson
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#23 Writer Paul Gallico
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#24 Polish Musician Wanda Landowska
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#25
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#26 First Pet Of The White House, Socks The Cat
“This wide-eyed ragdoll was known as Socks the Cat and was former US President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary’s first pet.”
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#27 American Actress And Singer Ava Gardner
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#28 John And Jacqueline Kennedy
“Historical photo of then-Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy accompanied by his wife Jacqueline, daughter Caroline and the family cat.
This was the last weekend together before the Democratic candidate began the campaign for the presidency of the United States, circa 1960.”
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#29 British Actress Una Stubbs
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#30
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#31
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#32 Argentine Writer Jorge Luis Borges
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#33 The German Physician, Philosopher And Theologian Albert Schweitzer
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#34
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#35 American Author Helen Gurley Brown
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#36 Mary Austin, Ex-Girlfriend And One Of The Greatest Loves Of Freddie Mercury
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#37
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#38
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#39
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#40 British Model Christine Keeler
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#41 Alice Stacy
“Alice Stacy, a 91-year-old woman, hugs her cat named Mischief while Good Boy, her dog, sits next to her at the Columbia Point housing project in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood. The United States. 1988.”
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#42 British Novelist Elinor Glyn
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#43 US Senator Helen Ring Robinson With Her Pet Kitten
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#44
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#45 British Blues Musician Long John Baldry
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#46 French Actor Jean-Louis Trintignant
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#47 Art Dealer Ambroise Vollard
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#48 The Italian Poet Giuseppe Ungaretti
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#49
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#50 Joey Ramone
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#51
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#52 British Actor Wilfrid Hyde-White
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#53
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#54 Argentine Painter Leonor Fini
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#55 American Actor Anthony Perkins
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#56 Talian Actors Paolo Ferrari And Laura Tavanti
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#57
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#58
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#59 Psychiatrist Nise Da Silveira
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#60 American Writer And Screenwriter Patricia Highsmith
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Source: boredpanda.com