For those of us uninitiated in the work of Harry Whittier Frees, the LOL Cat trend began as recently as 2006. But the time-honored tradition of anthropomorphizing cats to great comedic effect actually began as early as 1905, when the photographer saw a party hat be blown onto a kitten’s head and had, obviously, the greatest idea of all time.
Frees worked primarily with his own kittens, Rags and Fluff, as well as the pets of his neighbors and friends. All of his subjects seem to have mastered that hybrid of indifference and superiority necessary for modelling, although maybe that’s just intrinsic to cats.
Although ungenerous viewers have suggested Frees’ works might be the result of decidedly un-cute taxidermy, Frees used the stiff clothes his mother sewed for the animals to encourage his models to pose in place, and promised, “These unusual photographs of real animals were made possible only by patient, unfailing kindness on the part of the photographer at all times.”
The original Grumpy Cat was just not having it with this laundry thing imposed on her by the patriarchy.
Yikes. Thankfully the terrifying doll contingent has been largely eradicated from cat memes, otherwise I can haz nightmares.
(via Jezebel and My Modern Met)
- Modern LOL Cats bid you Happy Thanksgiving
- Grumpy Cat getting you down?
- Here’s an American Pie parody for your interests
