Pet Tabby Cat, from the Household Pets series (N194) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1891

This chromolithograph, titled "Pet Tabby Cat," comes from the "Household Pets" series issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co., during a time when mass-produced images began to circulate widely. It depicts a young, white woman, adorned in a blue dress with touches of red, gazing suggestively over her shoulder with a tabby cat perched on her back. The image, seemingly innocent, tells a complex story about gender, class, and the construction of domesticity in the late 19th century. The woman’s coy demeanor and the emphasis on her fashionable attire speak to the era’s restrictive roles for women, where appearance and domesticity were paramount. The cat, a symbol of domestic comfort, further reinforces this narrative. Yet, there is also a sense of unease. Is she a representation of the ideal woman, or a subtle critique of the constraints placed upon her? This image invites us to reflect on the ways in which women were both celebrated and confined by societal expectations, and the emotional labor involved in maintaining these facades.