Cat High: The Yearbook

What would it be like if cats went to school? Terry deRoy Gruber aimed to find out in the 1984 classic, "Cat High: The Yearbook." Designed to resemble an actual yearbook, the book's black and white pages are stuffed with superlatives and scrawled signatures alongside silly photos of clothed cats, in the spirit of fellow 80s parody mags like Vanity Fur and Catmopolitan.

As the description explains, "For those unacquainted with Cat High, it is located in the town of Paw Paw near the famous battle of Gerbil Hill. The student body is made up of such pursonalities as Earnest Bootstraps, Fred Fur, Curiosity Kildecat, and Eugene Fuzzerelli. But as hilarious as the text is, it is the hundreds of pictures of cats, in all their human outfits and expression, that will make readers cat-atonic with laughter."


Principal Thelonius T.G. Bones Grimm IX


Kitty Tyler Katz
"Kitten"
"A good coat is worth a thousand licks."


Phyllis Snippitt
"Pinky"
"It's not what you say or do, it's how you look when you say it."


Waylon Squeeks
"Wail"
"I went to the levy but the levy was dry."


Christofurr Fenwick Eggenliver Sandwich III
"Wick"
"If I owned Texas and Hell, I'd rent out Texas and live in Hell." -- General Sheridan


Ratzy Rizzo
"Splash," "Captain Q"
"I can resist everything but temptation."


Rufus Cubs
"Cubby"
"Diamonds are forever."


Collin Devereaux
"Catfuscious"
"Humor is wit with a rooster's tail feathers stuck in its cap."


Felicia Faye Tirebiter
"Fido"
"I didn't ask to be bused to Cat High. My parents didn't even vote for President Johnson."

Cat High: The Yearbook

Gjon Mili's Portraits Of His Cat Blackie

Blackie, Gjon Mili's cat, as part of fashion shot with bride model.

Gjon Mili was an Albanian-American photographer best known for his work published in LIFE, where he worked as a freelance photographer from 1939 until his death in 1984. During his long career, Mili traveled the world documenting important people and events for the magazine, but also focused on more personal work, such as the images he captured of his cat Blackie in his New York City studio in the 1940s.

I wasn't able to dig up any details on the relationship between and Mili and the photogenic feline, however the care he took in capturing the beauty and mystique of the cat in a series of portraits seems to indicate that the kitty model was also a beloved companion. 


Portrait of Blackie


Blackie nibbling young acrobat's foot as she does a handstand.


Blackie being hugged by nightclub entertainer Maune de Revel.


Portrait of Blackie


Blackie looking at his portrait in mural by Saul Steinberg in Mili's studio.


Blackie sitting atop table held in unidentified man's teeth.


Portrait of Blackie

Via LIFE Photo Archive hosted by Google

Gjon Mili's Portraits Of His Cat Blackie

1950s Ethicon Suture Cat-a-log: Part II

I agree she's terrible, Doctor, but you know there are some even I can't train!

Long before Doctor Cat and I Can Has Cheezburger graced this digital earth, the surly kittens of the Ethicon Suture Cat-a-log were causing mayhem in black & white. The scans seen here were taken from a 1950s copy of the Ethicon Suture Cat-alog, distributed by Ethicon Suture Laboratories, Inc. The odd piece of ephemera, which I acquired after my dad picked it up for me at a book sale, was produced to help promote the surgical suture company, who promised that the catgut used in their products was NOT taken from actual cats, as the misnomer grossly implies.

Read More: 1950s Ethicon Suture Cat-a-log: Part 1

When I first posted some scans from the Cat-a-log back in April, there was some discussion as to whether they were the first lolcats; However, that dubious distinction belongs to photographers like Harry Pointer (1822-1889) and Harry Whittier Frees (1879–1953), who turned the act of taking and captioning adorable cat photos into shareable art. (For a more in-depth lolcat history, check out "Even in the 1870s, humans were obsessed with ridiculous photos of cats" over on io9.)

While these early examples certainly paved the way for modern kitty captioning practices, it still doesn't explain how today's generation of lolcats grew up to be the grammatically incorrect, cheeseburger aficionados that they are depicted as today.

Please God...make it a boy...

On Call

When I say fifteen minute scrub, I mean fifteen minute scrub

Never again will I trust an interne...

We'll need another interne to hold the retractors...

Breakfast...bedpan...lunch; Lunch...bedpan...supper; supper...bedpan...sleep...

So I sez to the old goat...

Hey Jonesy! Where'd you put those sutures?

...and you can tell the dietician I said so...

I've asked everyone, doctor, but we just don't seem to have any Fallopian tubes!

Now in your own words, tell me all about your dream...

1950s Ethicon Suture Cat-a-log: Part II

Great Moments In Feline Cinema History: "The Sick Kitten" (1903)

The Sick Kitten (1903)

I recently came across a cool short film from 1903 called "The Sick Kitten," which once again proves that cat videos were popular way before the internet came along. In the clip, directed by G.A. Smith, a boy playing a doctor brings over a bottle of fish medicine, which a girl then administers to a sick kitten, who hungrily laps it off a spoon.

One of the most interesting tidbits I came across about the 35 second clip, is that it's possibly the first example of a close-up being used to focus on action, rather than to simulate the view through a magnifying glass or microscope. According to BFI Screenonline, "Smith believed that his audience would have grown more sophisticated and would be able to tell the difference between a medium shot and close-up without prompting."

Another fun factoid? Despite its short length, a continuity blooper appears around midway through the film. If you look closely, you'll notice that the aforementioned close-up reveals that the girl is not wearing the same pinafore she had on in the full shot!

Via The Presurfer

Great Moments In Feline Cinema History: "The Sick Kitten" (1903)

1950s Ethicon Suture Cat-a-log

My dad recently came across this cool/bizarre find at a book sale: A 1950s "Cat-a-log" distributed by Ethicon Suture Laboratories, Inc., that proves long before the days of LOLcats, people were still obsessed with anthropomorphizing our feline friends.

What is an Ethicon cat-a-log you ask? I'll let the introductory page do the explaining:

This is an unblushing "me too" booklet. The current epidemic of picture books prompted us to get in the act with one of our own, relating to fields of mutual interest - nurses, doctors, and their patients.

As to cats, we owe the name, at least, a salute. The larger percent of our business is in supplying with catgut - an age old misnomer for surgical gut made of sheep intestines. Further, we are happy that cats are not the source of this essential suture material, for many of us are fond of the beautiful little creatures.

Most of the captions are written by "our friends in the nursing profession," while the photographs were captured by Walter Chandoha, "a photographer who specializes in cats."

The black and white booklet - which apparently saw hundreds of thousands of printings throughout the 50s - is around 20 pages long. I've shared a few scans here, and if there's interest, I'll post the rest!

You mean...I'll have to carry bed-pans?

Schedule or no schedule, they're hungry NOW!

Damn it, Nurse, I asked for a suture...not a rope!

Night Supervisor/Operating Room Supervisor

Nurse...I had to ring that bell four times!

And now...the incision...

I've had better meals in a fox-hole

First Delivery

Well doctor, when you've had my years of experience...

1950s Ethicon Suture Cat-a-log

Futuristic Cat Corn Nomming Device Was Ahead Of Its Time

Long before the original cat eating corn video hit YouTube in 2007, another feline with an affinity for the delicious grain was documented on film for posterity.

In 1951, photographer Allan Grant captured a ginger tabby nomming down on a tasty cob, with the help of what looks like his own purrsonal corn holding assistant. While I wasn't able to track down any information on the circumstances surrounding the unusual photoshoot - word has it an a-maize-ing time was had by all, no shucks about it.

Click over to Retronaut to see the rest of the curious photoset, courtesy of the Life Archive.

Futuristic Cat Corn Nomming Device Was Ahead Of Its Time

Vintage Woman's Magazine Is Certainly Not Implying That Cats Are Cheating Your Children

Everywoman's Cover, 1952

This 1952 cover of Everywoman's Magazine featured a stunning, heart-shape faced Siamese, along with the unfortunately placed headline, "Are They Cheating Your Child? READ - YOU ARE TO BLAME!"

As poster alsis35 helpfully points out, "For the record, the article inside is about getting cool stuff for your kids' schools, not about the ever-present Feline Menace."

I don't know, that cat looks guilty as hell to me!

Previously:

1956 Woman's Day Features Best Magazine Cover Ever

Vintage Woman's Magazine Is Certainly Not Implying That Cats Are Cheating Your Children

1956 Woman's Day Features Best Magazine Cover Ever

Fluffy ginger kittens AND six great soups for my man? What more do you want for 7 cents?! They sure don't make magazines like they used to.

Via clotho98 / Meine Katze

1956 Woman's Day Features Best Magazine Cover Ever

Los Angeles Cat Show - 1952

What is it about vintage kitty pictures that make them so fun to look at it? I'm head over heels for this collection of black & white photographs taken by George Silk at the Los Angeles Cat Show in 1952.

The judge was all business!

Lap of luxury

Check out her styling kitty top!

Little Bo-Peep

A quiet moment

Is it safe to come out?

These images are from the Google Life archive, and can be purchased as framed prints. Click here to view the entire set!

Los Angeles Cat Show - 1952