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THE AMERICAN SHORTHAIR The history and development of the American Shorthair breed of cat

Valerie Anne Edwards Karen Lawrence Gayle A. Hand

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THE AMERICAN SHORTHAIR The History and Development of the American Shorthair Breed of Cat Published in the United States of America

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, screen capture, or otherwise, without prior written permission. ISBN Library and Archives Canada 978‐1‐7775916‐2‐5

Valerie Anne Edwards, Karen Lawrence, Gayle A. Hand Feline Historical Thesis Includes bibliographical references and index. Cover Artwork: by Chuck Hoppe ©2021 from a photo by David Macias Photography This book is from THE ALCHEMY OF CAT BREEDS SERIES produced in a collaboration between The CFA Foundation, Inc. and The Harrison Weir Collection felinehistoricalfoundation.org / www.harrisonweir.com who also jointly collaborate on THE HISTORY PROJECT at www.cat‐o ‐pedia.org

Printed and Bound by QSL Print Communications, Springfield, OR

Dedication

This book is dedicated to American Shorthairs, past and present; and, to all the people who have bred to preserve and love them.

The book was made possible by Ken Edwards who, in 2018, generously allowed me to collect and archive all of his sister’s cat‐related work to be donated to the CFA Foundation. My intent was to make sure that at least one copy of a finalized book could be published for the Foundation’s Library, but I struggled with finding appropriate replacement photos (the originals had been lost) and I had diﬃculty knowing how best to handle certain sensitive topics. Fortuitously, Karen Lawrence made it known that she was searching for another “project” after the 2021 publication of her informative and beautiful Abyssinian book, The Descendants of Bastet. When asked if she would like to take on this book, she agreed. Her deep understanding of the cat fancy, the people, and the cats, along with her superb research, writing and publication skills, helped rescue this book from oblivion for the second time! And finally, I would like to pay tribute to my two mentors, Joan Wastlhuber Miller (Nepenthes) and Mary Jo Mersol‐Barg (Sol‐Mer). They each gave me knowledge about cats, the fancy, and life which not only helped shape my understanding of and participation in the fancy but also in the world at large. These gifts I will cherish forever!

Gayle A. Hand

TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1— Introduction to the American Shorthair……………………

Where Did They Come From? Chapter 2— The Early History ……...……………………………………..

Arrival in North America Chapter 3— First Cat Shows

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Entries of shorthairs at early cat shows Chapter 4— Black Short Haired Cattery …………………………………..

The iconic Miss Jane R. Cathcart Chapter 5— The Buzzing Silver …………………………………………...

A silver tabby mystery Chapter 6— Other Prominent Early Breeders ……………………………

Breeders Working Together for the Good of the Breed Chapter 7— The 1930s‐1940s ……………………………………………...…

Advancements in breeding programs Chapter 8— The 1950s‐1960s …………………………………...……………

The age of top cats Chapter 9 – The 1970s‐1990s …………………………………………………

A late century growth Chapter 10— The 21st Century ……………………………………….……

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The expansion of the breed in North America Chapter 11— American Shorthair in Associations other than CFA……

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A look at winners in other North American Registries Chapter 12—Breed Growth Overseas ……………………………………..

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Development in Europe, Japan and Asia Chapter 13— Open‐Closed‐Open Registry ……………………………..…

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The determination of “true” bred cats Chapter 14—The Breed Standard ……………………………………………

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Breed standard changes over the past 50 years Chapter 15— The History of Colors ………………………………………...

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The history of ‘firsts’ in each color Chapter 16—Cover Cats & National Winners …………………………….

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Important winning American Shorthairs Chapter 17— Distinguished Merit Cats ……………………………………

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Contributors to the breed growth Chapter 18— Pedigrees and Progeny ……………………………………….

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Those ‘stand‐out’ cats

ABOUT THE AUTHORS ………………………………………………..

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ADDENDUM …………………………………………………………..

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1. 1963, CFA Yearbook, The Incomparable Domestic Shorthair, by Kay McQuillen 2. 1973, CFA Yearbook, The American Shorthair, by Dr. Rosemonde Peltz 3. 1980, CFA Yearbook, The American Shorthair ‐ Rags to Riches, by Rosemary Kendrick 4. 1991 (June), Cat Fanciersʹ Almanac, An American (Shorthair) Tale, by Carol Rothfeld 5. 1998, CFA Yearbook, The American Shorthair: Roots of a Homegrown Breed, by Va‐ lerie Anne Edwards; Sharing the Gene Pool, by Olen Wilford; A New Color Class for the Nineties, by Ande DeGeer 6. 1998 (November), Cat Fanciersʹ Almanac, ‘American Shorthairs—A Century of Preser‐ vation’, from Understanding the American Shorthair by Gayle A. Hand, Carolyn Ly‐ ons, & Bob Zenda 7. 1998 (November), Cat Fanciersʹ Almanac, The Shaded American Shorthair, by Carol W. Johnson, DVM 8. 1999, CFA Yearbook, The American Shorthair: A Rainbow of Shaded Colors, by Carol W. Johnson, DVM 9. 2021(April), Felis Historica, Miss Toodles, by John G. Smithson 10. 2021(November), Felis Historica, Ballochmyle Perfection, by John G. Smithson

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GLOSSARY OF ABBREVIATIONS ……………………………………

347

BIBLIOGRAPHY / RESOURCES ………………………………………

349

INDEX ……………………………………………………………………..

351

An undated trade card advertising Dr. D. Jayne’s Tonic Vermifuge, oﬀered by Perry G. Gee of Kinsman, Ohio Courtesy of The CFA Foundation viii

FOREWORD As an Allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers’ Association, Inc. (CFA) for 35 years, I have had the privilege of judging and handling many of the world’s most beautiful pedigreed cats. From the lithe, slender oriental styles such as the Siamese to the hearty, heavy bodied breeds such as the Persian, each breed brings to the table a unique history that, with diligence and an eye for accuracy, can be traced to reveal its origins and evolution. During my judging experience, I had the opportunity to share those stories with people who came to visit CFA shows to admire the variety of breeds. The stories that delighted people the most were the discussions of the origins of one of the “natural” breeds of North America – the American Shorthair. The American Shorthair: The History and Development of the American Shorthair Breed of Cat, written by Valerie Anne Edwards, Karen Lawrence and Gayle Hand tells an updated, modern‐day story of the development of the American Shorthair in North America. Throughout the book are references about and by some of the most important, worldwide breeders of the past one hundred years. The inclusion of the evolution of the breed by Leslie A. Lyons, PhD is especially important as it puts the American Shorthair into the context of the world‐wide development of the domestic cat. The history of the American Shorthair is unique and yet, not unlike the history of any breed we admire. Throughout The American Shorthair are references which help to put not only the American Shorthair, but by association, the many breeds of the Cat Fancy, into the perspective of the necessity to preserve the breed for the future. Most interesting to me was the history of colors which traces individual cats and breeders giving the reader the back story relative to the colors and patterns we appreciate in the breed today. An extensive collection of “producers” and “progeny” in addition to the vast examination of the American Shorthair breed standard also helps one to appreciate the evolution of the breed relative to phenotype as well as genotype. Also interesting is the examination of a variety of “controversies” associated with the breed over its history. In The American Shorthair, what began as the enthusiastic interests of a 13‐year‐old girl, is now brought forth to us in a well‐documented, substantial history of North America’s natural breed of shorthair cat – the American Shorthair. It is a history which proves that, once again, breeders are perpetuating the characteristics which they find interesting, beautiful, unusual, and necessary to the preservation and therefore, the survival of the breed. American Shorthair breeders, aﬃcionados, line chasers, and owners and lovers of all varieties of cats will find The American Shorthair: The History and Development of the American Shorthair Breed of Cat professionally written, informative, and fascinating. It is a loving tribute to “a natural breed that evolved on its own in relative geographic isolation before the cat fancy came into being.”

Pat Jacobberger Coordinator, CFA Breed Awareness and Orientation School, Retired Chair, CFA Judge’s Continuing Education, Retired Judge Emeritus, Cat Fanciers’ Association, Inc.

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, 2022

An undated trade card advertising Gail Borden Eagle Brand Condensed Milk, oﬀered by the N.Y. Condensed Milk Company, New York, NY Courtesy of The CFA Foundation x

PREFACE This book has been a long time coming. Valerie Anne Edwards began breeding and researching the American Shorthair breed when she was only 14 years of age. It became a passion with her to record the minute history details of the breed, from the moment that first cat’s little paws hit the shores of North America oﬀ an unknown ship. While much of that very early history is anecdotal, once registering bodies were organized and they began keeping detailed records, the history is reasonably well documented. It was that documentation that Valerie reveled in, making numerous trips to various libraries, even the Library of Congress, in search of individual cat details that she craved. Valerie kept meticulous notes in her pedigree database, even explaining where she had found the various registration information .. and a book began to form in her mind, and eventually on paper. Her first manuscript, dated 1967, and an additional revision with her hand written notes, is in the collection of the CFA Foundation’s Feline Historical Museum in Alliance, Ohio. Sadly, Valerie never had any luck finding an interested publisher, and she passed away without her massive manuscript being published. Her brother, fortunately, saved the material and passed it along to well‐known American Shorthair breeder, Gayle Hand … along with permission to print it if at all possible. With the numerous submissions of the manuscript to various publishers, the accompanying photo collection had been lost. Gayle approached Karen Lawrence to see if she had any interest in reviewing, editing and revising the manuscript with the addition of historical photos. Karen, as Curator of the Feline Historical Museum, had the massive research library collection in that museum at her fingertips. And so, the decision to complete and publish Valerie’s life work was made. Karen relishes research challenges along with any reason to do a thorough search of the many early magazines looking for old photos. Scanning, and finding additional material about cats in the scanned photos, was time consuming. As you can see from this published result, a treasure trove of photos is contained within the Feline Historical Museum’s magazine library, and shared herein with you. Valerie’s original manuscript is the basis for this book. It has been enhanced, not only with photos, but with additional details and chapters, plus numerous quotes about cats and breeders throughout. Gayle has made sure that we always stuck to Valerie’s thesis of the breed origins. We like to think that we have made her original book an even more interesting venture.

Karen Lawrence Gayle Hand

February 2022

An undated trade card advertising Jayne’s Tonic Vermifuge, oﬀered by John G. Gee of Hartstown, PA. Courtesy of The CFA Foundation

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INTRODUCTION It’s not diﬃcult to determine what an American Shorthair cat is … the majority of people are accustomed to recognizing the common tabby pattern in cats. But that’s not all they are ‐ it’s the structure of the body that the pattern is painted on that makes the cat a true American Shorthair. While the beginnings of this breed can be found in cats that made their way to North America from Europe, working on early trade ships to control the onboard vermin, the story of their ability to breed true once ashore is what is covered in this book. The cats that came ashore were eventually valued as working farm cats, controlling the mice and rats while protecting the precious grain crops on farms along the east coast, and spreading as far away as California during the gold rush days. Naturally, they interbred, as farm cats do. They were, however, limited to breeding with cats of similar “type” that had also arrived on trade ships, as there were no “native” domesticated cats in North America with which they could breed. That is why this breed is considered a “natural” breed by the Cat Fanciers’ Association. While the forebearers came from overseas, the American Shorthair is, literally, a breed whose early development was exclusive to the North American continent. Eventually, as early as the 1900s, cats of similar type and pattern were imported from European countries to enhance and develop breeding programs. We take an in‐depth look at one such cattery – that of Miss Jane Cathcart of the Black Short Haired Cattery – who imported outcross stock from France and England, yet still used the occasional farm cat in her breeding program. For almost a decade, Miss Cathcart had a profound aﬀect on the breeding and popularization of the early American Shorthair cats. Our story continues with details of breeding programs over several decades, starting in the 1920s when the breed seemed to again become popular, through into the 1960s when the striking American Shorthair, Grand Champion Shawnee Trademark, dominated the annual “Best Cat” wins for several show seasons, and moving on to take at peak at numerous catteries in existence during the 1970s through to this day. The breed has been through several name changes in the past – from simply being known as Shorthair in the beginning, to Domestic Shorthair for a couple of decades, and finally to being named American Shorthair in the mid‐1960s. There’s also been considerable controversy surrounding the decision as to whether to open, or close, the registration process to cats of unknown heritage. We explain the details of these issues, and happily report that all were settled as of the mid‐1990s. The breeding of American Shorthairs has spread worldwide and has been especially popular in Asia since that area of the world began to take part in an organized cat fancy. We recognize those American Shorthairs who have achieved high honors in CFA’s season‐ending National Wins in a chapter devoted to them. We also have included a complete listing of those cats who have achieved the Distinguished Merit status in CFA, and lastly, we feature fifty outstanding cats for their contributions to the gene pool in our Pedigrees and Progeny chapter. We have referred, throughout, to numerous cat registering bodies using association initials: BCC, NCC, GCCF, USR, ACA, UCCA, ACFA, CFA, TICA, and CFF. The explanation for these can be found in the Glossary. Additionally, we are very grateful to The Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) for granting permission to reprint numerous articles from their Cat Fanciers’ Almanac magazine and CFA Yearbook. Those articles are found in the Addendum and bring to light a more current history, beyond what Valerie had covered prior to her untimely death. Karen Lawrence St. Catharines, ON

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An undated trade card advertising Dr. Thomas’ Eclectric Oil, Port Jervis, NY Courtesy of The CFA Foundation xiv

A WORD ABOUT DIFFERENCES History is an exploration for truth which must be understood and recorded within the cultural context from which it evolves. Complicating our comprehension and appreciation for the written account, the use of certain words may mean one thing in one era and something quite different in another. This book is based on an account written by Valerie Anne Edwards (b. 1949 d. 2011) who researched the American Shorthair throughout her life. As a teenager she started her life‐long study of the breed via the cat archives at the USDA Agricultural Library housed within the Library of Congress in Washington DC; possible because she and her family lived nearby. She corresponded and exchanged information frequently with cat breeders from around the world. She wrote the first draft of her manuscript in 1967 and revised it at least 3 times over the next 40 years, but sadly was unable to convince any commercial publisher that it would have broad enough interest to print. Sections and snippets of it were published in the newsletters of the National American Shorthair Club and the CFA Yearbooks. The work was also used as the foundation for the 1997 Judges Training Workshop and an article on Understanding the American Shorthair Standard that was published in the CFA Almanac. Parts were also posted to a website that have likely been “borrowed” by others. Liberty has been taken in updating and adding to the work Ms. Edwards did. Hopefully these changes have enhanced the book while still being supportive of her primary thesis ‐‐ the American Shorthair is more than just a domestic that was shaped only by the whims of cat fancier/breeders. It is a natural breed that evolved on its own in relative geographic isolation before the cat fancy came into being. Indeed, the American Shorthair is much more than a common domestic that has been “prettied up” for exhibition. In the original manuscript Ms. Edwards used the term “purebred” when writing about the domestic ancestors of our modern American Shorthair breed. We found the word at odds with present‐day usage, but we understood what she meant and hope that our clarifications provide the reader with a similar understanding. The common domestics on which the breed was founded in the early 1900s were of similar phenotype. The more svelte color‐point cats from the Far East had not yet arrived in sufficient numbers to either Europe or the Americas to have significant impact on the appearance of the American domestics or on their ability to breed true. This was the case well into the 20th Century. In fact, as late as the 1970s common non pedigreed domestics could still be found that exemplified the pedigreed breed that by then were called American Shorthairs. These common domestics had athletic sturdy physique and amazing clarity of mackerel and classic tabby patterns. Although without pedigree, they were able to reliably reproduce without the non‐native color variations or finer boned, elongated triangular heads so often seen at shelters or roaming freely in America today. Now, a half of century later, finding such a cat would be near impossible because the imported cats with “foreign traits” have now extensively interbred with the American domestic population. Few, if any, common domestics are now likely to breed “true”. Another word that we have chosen to change is ‘mixed‐breed”. This term is commonly used and is accurate when referring to dogs. Since over half of all dogs owned in the US are purebred, accidental matings often do produce mixed breed dogs. With fewer than 10% of the cats in the United States being pedigreed ‐ and most of those are altered and/or kept strictly indoors ‐ the non‐pedigreed domestic population is more aptly described by the term ‘random‐bred’. This term was not yet in common use at the time Ms. Edwards wrote her manuscript. You will note when you read the various historical articles contained in the addenda that different people, even those considered equally prominent and knowledgeable by fanciers, have had opinions which conflict with Ms. Edwards’ and our thesis regarding the history and development of the breed. Furthermore, some judges and breeders, in a natural inclination to favor certain stylized looks, have selected for traits that may resemble other breeds. While breed distinctness is an important primary goal for fanciers, it must always be remembered that genetic diversity is also needed and varying looks which reflect diversity can be desirable within a reasonable spectrum. In the words of evolutionary biologist, T. Dobzhansky , “diversity is mankind’s most precious resource, not a regrettable deviation from an ideal state of monotonous sameness”! Gayle A. Hand xv

SHORTHAIRS AT THE FIRST CAT SHOWS Although informal cat shows were held at county fairs in England as early as 1598, the formal cat fancy began as the brainchild of Harrison W. Weir in England. The first organized show was held July 13, 1871 at the Crystal Palace in England, with a second show in early December of 1871. Mr. Weir was an ardent fan of the Shorthair as a breed, and personally owned several. He also admired their working qualities and hoped that the good health, intelligence, and hunting Medal from the Crystal Palace Cat Show, instinct would be preserved as Held on Dec 2 & 4, 1871. breeders endeavored to enhance Courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection and perpetuate their physical beauty. John Jennings wrote in Domestic and Fancy Cats (1901): “It was therefore not surprising that those whose love and sympathy had been aroused and secured should feel the need of some institution where all matters pertaining to cats should be discussed, and which would form a motive power for further developing feline interests. From this incentive, in the early part of 1887, the National Cat Club became established; and with Mr. Harrison Weir as its president, and Miss Gresham as first hon. sec., success was more than assured; members joining from all parts of the kingdom. ”The principal objects of this club may be briefly stated: To promote the pure breeding of each distinct variety. To define the true type of such varieties. To use all available eﬀorts for the adoption of such types by breeders, exhibitors, and judges. To give prizes subject to such conditions being observed. To promote exhibitions of cats; and generally to protect, and by legitimate means advance the interests of cats.” In 1873, two shows were held in England - one in Alexandria, the other in

Registration for Jimmy, silver tabby shorthair born in 1890. From the Studbook of The National Cat Club, Volume 1, 1892

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CH Jimmy at the 1891 Crystal Palace Cat Show. From The Daily Graphic, October 22, 1891 .

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LOOK AT THE SHORTHAIR TABBIES SHOWN AT THE EARLY CRYSTAL PALACE SHOWS! ABOVE: Prize cats at the 1875 Crystal Palace Show. Artwork by R.H. Moore, from The Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic News, October 16, 1875 RIGHT—TOP: Prize winners at the 1881 Crystal Palace Show. Artwork by Alfred T. Elwes, from The Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic News, October 22, 1881. RIGHT—BOTTOM: Prize winners at the 1884 Crystal Palace Show. Artwork by Alfred T. Elwes, from The Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic News, November 1, 1884 All images courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection

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A story about the value of JIMMY, printed in The Times, New York City, on January 10, 1897. From the Samuel C. Perkins Scrapbook in the collection of The CFA Foundation.

Birmingham. In 1875 a show was sponsored in Edinburgh, Scotland. The National Cat Club, started in 1887, held shows at the Crystal Palace every year until the magnificent building burned down in 1936. The National Cat Club also established the first UK registry of cats in 1890. During the first Championship Cat Show held by The National Cat Club at The Crystal Palace in London in 1896, a particularly striking and massive silver (classic) tabby male, named Eng Ch Jimmy, was valued at £2,000. Since the British pound was worth five U. S. dollars at the time, Eng Ch Jimmy was valued at $10,000 American dollars. Helen Winslow wrote in her book, Concerning Cats (1900), that “Mrs. Herring’s Champion Jimmy is very well known as a first prize‐winner in many shows.” Jimmy was sired by Mr. Sugdenʹs famous Eng. Ch. King of the Fancy out of Mr. Young’s Tibbie, and can be found behind most modern registered American Shorthairs. Eng. Ch. Jimmy, born on October 18, 1890, was purchased as a young cat from his breeder, the renowned Mr. Herbert Young of Harrogate, by Mrs. Herring of Lestock House. What was so special about this cat? Could any cat really deserve such a price (an incredible - 21 -

mansion could be purchased for this sum)? There are those who considered Jimmy to be very close to the ideal American - massive, muscular, dignified and flashy with a broad head and sweet expression. Today one would fault him for small ears set high on his head. His muzzle could also have been broader and more square in shape, but what a cat! He was by far the most glamorous cat of ANY breed at that time. In their book, Fifty Years of Pedigreed Cats (1967), May Eustace and Elizabeth Towe noted a quote by Louis Wain about silver tabbies: “The famous Louis Wain, whose portrayal of cats brought him great fame, said of Silver Tabbies: “Silver Tabbies, I must first class among the most aristocratic of the breeds. Fanciers will tell you how diﬃcult it is to obtain a good one; either the tabby markings are not clear, nor suﬃciently defined, the black

Catalog for the May 8‐11, 1895 National Cat Show held at Madison Square Garden, New York City. From the collection of The CFA Foundation.

is not dense enough, and the butterfly markings are not distinct, or the eyes are not of the correct colour. To get anything like a perfect type in silvers is a great feat. And is only the outcome of judicious mating. Among the winning males ‘Champion Timmy[sic]’stands out. He has won innumerable championships and First Prizes and is the property of Mrs. Herring.”

MEANWHILE, IN AMERICA … In the United States, Mr. James T. Hyde organized the first formal cat show, the First National Cat Show at Madison Square Garden in 1895. Mr. W.P. Buchananʹs seven-year-old neuter, Grover B. (a white shorthair exhibited as a Maltese), was listed as “Not for sale” in his catalog

The 1895 catalog listing for Grover B. From the collection of The CFA Foundation.

Grover B, described as a “white Maltese” and valued at $1,000 in the National Cat Show catalog. Winner of a gold medal at the 1895 Madison Square Garden show. Owned by Mr. W.P. Buchanan of Philadelphia.

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Illustration of entries, including a black and white shorthair, at the 1895 National Cat Show held at Madison Square Garden . From Leslie’s Weekly, May 9, 1895. Courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection.

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Illustration of cats entered in the 1896 National Cat Club show, including shorthairs NICODEMUS and GROVER CLEVELAND. From The World March 5, 1896. From the Samuel C. Perkins scrapbook in the collection of The CFA Foundation

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Illustration by Louis Wain of cats entered in the Crystal Palace show. From Harmsworth Magazine, 1898

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listing, yet with a value of $1,000 shown. Forty-six Shorthair adults and twenty-five Shorthair kittens were entered in this show. Many of these had higher prices than the Siamese and Persian entries. An undated issue of The World describes the expected entries at the 1896 show: “Harry Draper of No. 189 East One Hundred and Ninth Street will again exhibit his tiger‐marked cat, Mete, which took first prize at the last show. Mete will be accompanied by his son, Sassy, which is six months old, and promises to capture a prize. Miss Mary Cecilia Ryan, of Elizabeth, N.J., will be on hand again with her famous ‘three generations of cats.’ Mrs. Platz, of Stapleton, S.I., will exhibit her prize winner, Bismarck, and Mrs. and Mrs E.N. Barker, of Newburg, will show several importations that have won valuable prizes in the English shows. A white Maltese, with the euphonic compound name of Purity Parkhurst will come from Cranford, N.J. He is owned by Miss Munoz. Mrs. R.S. McCreery will exhibit her remarkable collection of tailless Manx cats. In fact, all of the favorites of last year will be displayed, together with hundreds of excellent new specimens. Over $1,000 will be awarded in prizes.” The March 5 edition of The World listed the 1896 shorthair winners as: “Some of the favorite short‐haired prize winners

The history of NICODEMUS, as printed in The World, March 5, 1896. From the Samuel C. Perkins scrapbook in the collection of The CFA Foundation.

Front and back of the gold medal won by “Mr. S. Woodiwiss's Team” at the 1895 Crufts Show. From the collection of The CFA Foundation.

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were: Mrs. A. Draper’s Queenie, Mr. Rackham’s Emily, Miss Beckett’s Pearl’s Little Irishman, Mrs. Platz’s Bismarck, Mrs. Draper’s Little Sassy, Miss Beckett’s Nickle, Mrs. Nina Norton’s Tootsie, Miss Clarke’s Tom and Jerry, Mr. Morris’s Tom, Mrs. Bailey’s Cato, Mr. Porter Finch’s Chimmie Fadden, Mrs. Burnett’s Dick, and Miss Beckett’s Grover Cleveland.” In 1896, thirty-five Shorthairs were entered in the Second Annual show at Madison Square Garden. A three-year-old brown tabby male, Nicodemus, was an attraction at the show. He was sired by Lord Stanley out of Gypsy Queen, granddaughter of the famous Eng. CH. Fulmer Xenophon I, bred by Mrs. Gregory in England. Nicodemus was listed for sale in the show catalog, at a price of $2,500, after winning Best Brown or Sable Tabby Shorthair’ at the show held the previous year in Madison Square Garden. In the same show, two three-year-old neuters were listed for sale at $1,000 each. It’s interesting that an entirely diﬀerent story about the early beginning of the life of Nicodemus was printed in a March 5, 1896 article published in The World. The article tells of a much more humble beginning, rather than one with a very distinguished parentage.

XENOPHON, as pictured in The Book of the Cat, by Frances Simpson, 1903.

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AND IN ENGLAND DURING THE SAME YEAR … 1895 also saw the second of the cat shows organized by Charles Cruft in England. Cruft had experience and great success in organizing dog shows, and expected to have the same result with cat shows. The first of the Cruft’s shows was held in 1894 and described in Fur and Feather: ʺOn 7 and 8 March 1894 Cruftʹs Cat Show took place at the Royal Aquarium, Westminster with Lord Marcus Beresford as President of the new venture and a list of aristocratic patrons which included the names of some of those to whom Cruft looked for support of his dog shows. The patrons included Her Grace the Duchess of Newcastle, Her Grace the Duchess of Wellington, the Countess of Sefton, the Countess of Warwick and a galaxy of Ladies including Lady de Traﬀord. Among the fifteen patrons were only two men, a sharp contrast to the male dominated world of dog shows. The show oﬀered ʹNearly 50 Special Prizes from guineas, 75 Classes from £5ʹ and a panel of four judges which included the two Weir brothers, John and Harrison, John Jennings, and Miss Gresham.” ʺWith over six hundred entries the show was certainly bigger by far than any previous cat show, but the entry was a product of classification which was itself far bigger than anything which had gone before. The generous classification was supported by a list of special prizes and awards which also eclipsed what cat exhibitors had hitherto been accustomed to. Even so, perhaps as a result of the impossibly short time in which the show was organised, Cruft himself seems to have been far less confident about the new venture than were Fur and Feather. Even the showʹs title Cruftʹs Cat Show is strangely muted when set alongside that of Cruftʹs Great International Dog Show and Exhibition of Sporting Appliances and Fine Arts Society.ʺ An article in the December 26, 1895 edition of the New York Times describes the second show and states, ʺAnother prize of the show was a brown tabby tom, Champion Xenophon, which its owner values at $5,000.ʺ Unfortunately, neither the 1894 show, nor the 1895 one, were a financial success for Cruft and he cancelled the planned 1896 show and never ventured into cat shows again.

Mrs. Louisa Herring with another of her silver tabbies, Sweet Phillis, born in 1901. Photo from Our Cats, March 5, 1904.

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