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Parlor Cats
Victoriana and cats-it's a natural marriage. Celebrating the era when mousers, tabbies, and toms were swept off the farm and cherished with a passion unrivaled since ancient Egypt, Parlor Cats is a dazzling collaboration from the creators of A Victorian Scrapbook, Forget-Me-Nots, Joy to the World: A Victorian Book of LoveFor the Love of Lace, Nonsense & Common Sense, We Wish You a Merry Christmas: A Victorian Caroling Kit, and the bestselling Victoriana Calendar.
Originally adorning antique greeting cards and cut-out dolls, matchboxes and advertising trade cards, stationery and calendars, the endearing faces of Victorian cats live anew in Cynthia Hart's distinctive collages. Mixing paper ephemera from John Grossman's museum-quality Collection of Antique Images with fresh flowers, collectibles, lace and brocade, each lushly layered composition evokes a time that personified the cat as the epitome of domestic virtue.
Generously quoting from poetry, nursing rhymes, Godey's Lady's Book, and popular authors, Josephine Banks recounts the love affair between the Victorians and their cats. It's no accident that the cat is America's most popular pet-here is how it all got started. A selection of the Literary Guild. 126,000 copies in print.
Originally adorning antique greeting cards and cut-out dolls, matchboxes and advertising trade cards, stationery and calendars, the endearing faces of Victorian cats live anew in Cynthia Hart's distinctive collages. Mixing paper ephemera from John Grossman's museum-quality Collection of Antique Images with fresh flowers, collectibles, lace and brocade, each lushly layered composition evokes a time that personified the cat as the epitome of domestic virtue.
Generously quoting from poetry, nursing rhymes, Godey's Lady's Book, and popular authors, Josephine Banks recounts the love affair between the Victorians and their cats. It's no accident that the cat is America's most popular pet-here is how it all got started. A selection of the Literary Guild. 126,000 copies in print.
88 pages, Hardcover
First published January 2, 1992
24 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 13, 2017
Precious! The best part of this is that I got this cute little book at a thrift store for one whole dollar. And I'm keeping it! They won't be getting it back.
September 13, 2020
images: 4
content: 3
book design: 2
This could have been so much better. Even so, a cat lover will enjoy this overview of the prominence of cats in the late 1800s.
The pages are much too full and they don't mesh with the text. For example, when the topic is 'holidays,' I want to see the cards and cut outs appropriate to the holiday under discussion (Easter, Halloween, Christmas, ...). Another example: there should be at least one Cheshire Cat on the pages about Alice in Wonderland, preferably several artistic versions.
The authors mention that little girls liked to dress their cats and give their furry pets seats at tea parties. Again, a missed opportunity to use actual illustrations of these activities.
The last five pages are thorough notes on the "ephemera & collectibles" that are pictured. There's a lot of information presented in 7 or 8 point type. This would have been better placed on the appropriate pages.
content: 3
book design: 2
This could have been so much better. Even so, a cat lover will enjoy this overview of the prominence of cats in the late 1800s.
The pages are much too full and they don't mesh with the text. For example, when the topic is 'holidays,' I want to see the cards and cut outs appropriate to the holiday under discussion (Easter, Halloween, Christmas, ...). Another example: there should be at least one Cheshire Cat on the pages about Alice in Wonderland, preferably several artistic versions.
The authors mention that little girls liked to dress their cats and give their furry pets seats at tea parties. Again, a missed opportunity to use actual illustrations of these activities.
The last five pages are thorough notes on the "ephemera & collectibles" that are pictured. There's a lot of information presented in 7 or 8 point type. This would have been better placed on the appropriate pages.
December 29, 2022
Amazing book about how cats were viewed, treated, and even in marketed products in the Victorian Era. Very pretty with tons of photo references and easy to ready
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September 27, 2010If you like cats or love then, you need to read this book. You will be delighted with the wonderful illustrations of all the cats and flowers and other objects in this book.
April 3, 2011
Cute. For animal nerds, obviously. Great coffee table book.
July 3, 2014
Companion volume to the Christmas book, dealing with Victorian scraps of cats.
March 14, 2015
Love artwork from this era. "A collection of ailurophilia from Victorian times."
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews