Poes met kleren aan en met breiwerk c. 1890 - 1910

Editor: So this photograph, "Poes met kleren aan en met breiwerk" – that translates to "Cat with clothes on and with knitting" – was taken sometime between 1890 and 1910. It’s a gelatin-silver print. I find the image so odd. It's both unsettling and amusing to see a cat dressed up and placed in a domestic setting. What do you make of it? Curator: Well, the oddity is precisely the point, isn’t it? Images like this gained popularity as “fancy pictures” at a time of immense social and technological change. Photography became increasingly accessible. And what do people do with new media? They play! This is an example of photography mimicking popular trends. We were well on our way into "silly cat picture" culture that would pervade into our time! This also speaks to the changing relationship with animals in the late 19th century. Editor: So you're saying the image is a reflection of society’s changing views on… pets? That's so funny. Curator: Exactly! We can read this photograph as a document of evolving attitudes towards domestic animals. They were becoming increasingly seen as companions and even surrogates for family members. There's also a certain Victorian sentimentality and a fascination with anthropomorphism at play here. Why make it stereoscopic? Editor: Perhaps for enhanced realism, a heightened sense of the cat’s presence in that very space. That the Victorians can take in that kitty closer! So, it’s not just a funny picture; it's also telling us something about shifting cultural values? Curator: Precisely. This seemingly lighthearted photograph offers insights into the social and cultural landscape of its time, highlighting both the democratization of photography and the evolving relationship between humans and animals. Editor: I’ll never look at silly cat pictures the same way again! Curator: And that's the power of looking at art through a historical lens – even a dressed-up cat can tell a story.