SIAMESE Cat 1950s Playing with Shadow of Tail... Mid-Century Photograph 0002

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Siamese Cat - Playing with Shadow of Tail... 0002 c late 1950s early 1960s This photograph is one from a series of Siamese cat images documented for a book, the photographer is not identified, along with the collection was some rough draft layout pages with notes pertaining to the image noting characteristics of cats and subject, such as dancing, fighting, sleeping, eating, nursing, washing, moving, basket, faces, wrestling, expressions, gestures, & toys. PLEASE NOTE: color values are true black & white with gray tones, because of the large size of image and the scan bed not being large enough, photo has been scanned in two part process, the (blue tone) scan line will not appear on original. This vintage original image was enlarge by the photographer from a 35mm negative, approx. size of each photo is 11" x 11" and have been dry mounted on artist board. Please view other separate listings from this collection the continuity of size of each image lends to the potential for decorating a wall... Condition Very Good Will combine shipping based on weight, please wait for invoicing when this applies. The Siamese is one of the first distinctly recognized breeds of Oriental cat . The origins of the breed are unknown, but it is believed to be from Thailand . In Thailand, where they are one of several native breeds, they are called Wichian Mat , a name meaning "moon diamond". In the 20th century the Siamese cat became one of the most popular breeds in Europe and North America. History The pointed cat known in the West as "Siamese", recognized for its distinctive markings, is one of several breeds of cats from Siam described and illustrated in manuscripts called "Tamra Maew" (Cat Poems), estimated to have been written from the 14th to 18th century. It is often said that the breed was first seen outside their Asian home in 1884, when the British Consul-General in Bangkok , Edward Blencowe Gould (1847–1916), brought a breeding pair of the cats, Pho and Mia, back to Britain as a gift for his sister, Lilian Jane Veley (Veley went on to co-found the Siamese Cat Club in 1901). However, in 1878, U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes received "Siam", a gift from the American Consul in Bangkok; this cat was also the first documented Siamese to reach the United States, and predates the Siamese's arrival to the UK by 6 years. In 1885, Veley's UK cats Pho and Mia produced three Siamese kittens. These kittens – Duen Ngai, Kalohom, and Khromata – and their parents were shown that same year at London's Crystal Palace Show, where their unique appearance and distinct behavior made a huge impression. Unfortunately, all three of the kittens died soon after the show. The reason for their deaths is not documented. By 1886, another pair (with kittens) was imported to the UK by a Mrs. Vyvyan and her sister. Compared to the British Shorthair and Persian cats that were familiar to most Britons, these Siamese imports were longer and less "cobby" in body types, had heads that were less rounded with wedge-shaped muzzles and had larger ears. These differences and the pointed coat pattern, which had not been seen before in cats by Westerners, produced a strong impression—one early viewer described them as "an unnatural nightmare of a cat." These striking cats also won some devoted fans and over the next several years, fanciers imported a small number of cats, which together formed the base breeding pool for the entire breed in Britain. It is believed that most Siamese in Britain today are descended from about eleven of these original imports. Several sources give Gould's brother Owen Nutcombe Gould (1857–1929) as the British Consul-General in Bangkok, but Owen was only 27 in 1884 and not known to be in Bangkok. In their early days in Britain, they were called the "Royal Cat of Siam," reflecting reports that they had previously been kept only by Siamese royalty. Later research has not shown evidence of any organised royal breeding programme in Siam. read more

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