There are more than seventy million cats living in American households. The popular pets are considered family members. In these unassuming snapshots and personal files, cats are the center of attention—whether they like it or not. These candid records give us a glimpse into an artist’s daily activities outside of the studio, where they hang out with their friends, families, and, of course, felines.
These photographs are currently on view in our exhibit 'Before Internet Cats' http://s.si.edu/2o7sJWN
image credits:
Gathering at the New Canaan House I, designed by Marcel Breuer, in New Canaan, Connecticut, circa 1947.
Left to right: an unidentified man (holding a kitten), Joan McVitty, architect Ed Barnes, sculptor Alexander Calder, Constance Breuer, and architect Mary Barnes. One of Calder’s mobiles hangs over the group. Much of Breuer’s papers document his prolific architectural career, notably his collaborations with fellow artists and architects.
Painter Karl Wirsum (b. 1939) with his wife, Lorri, and their daughter, Ruby, with their four cats in their Chicago kitchen, May 1971.
Sculptor Paul Suttman (1933–1993), his wife, Elisse, and their cat in the pose of Piero della Francesca’s Montefeltro Altarpiece, circa 1967.
Printmakers Alexander Stavenitz (1901–1960) and Barbara Burrage (1900–?) playing with a cat in France, 1931.