100-Year-Old Vintage Cat Memes

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AmyBrown
Aug 26, 2020 12:00 PM EDT

Believe it or not but it turns out the very first cat memes were created over 100 years ago, thanks to a photographer named Harry Whittier Frees. Harry Whittier Frees dressed up cats and posed them with props, just the way one would photograph a human. He basically did what people do today before it was cool. 

Frees was born in 1879, Reading, Pennsylvania. In an interview with LIFE magazine, it was told he took his first "lolcat" photo completely by accident! The year was 1906 when his family gathered for dinner and brought a paper hat. They passed around the hat from head to head until it was placed on the head of Frees' cat. At that moment he took a photo of a cat with a hat. The source mentions how admired the shot was so he began to take more photos of cats in outfits and props. 

These photographs were taken in the early 1900s with a camera speed of 1/5th a second. As as we all know, cats (especially kittens) move constantly. Especially when you're trying to take a picture of them! So you can imagine how difficult it must have been and reportedly, two-thirds of the negatives had to discarded due to their blurriness. 

Honestly, it just makes the following images that much more impressive! Feast your eyes on the world's earliest cat memes: 

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  • 01
    Cat
    via Harry Whittier Frees
  • 02
    Cat
    via Harry Whittier Frees
  • 03
    Illustration
    via Harry Whittier Frees
  • 04
    Cat
    via Harry Whittier Frees
  • 05
    Cat
    via Harry Whittier Frees
  • 06
    Transport
    via Harry Whittier Frees
  • 07
    Product
    via Harry Whittier Frees
  • 08
    Motor vehicle
    via Harry Whittier Frees
  • 09
    Black-and-white
    via Harry Whittier Frees
  • 10
    Cat
    via Harry Whittier Frees
  • 11
    Black-and-white
    via Harry Whittier Frees
  • 12

    And now some cat memes from the year 1964, by John Montgomery:

    Font - The world of CATS by John Montgomery
    via John Montgomery
  • 13

    "Cuddles (below) wants to be a ballet dancer when he grows up"

    Canidae - ays lands on its fee Cuddles (below) wants to be a ballet dancer when he grows up
    via John Montgomery
  • 14

    "Did someone say cream cakes for tea?"

    Cat - Did someone say cream cakes for tea ?
    via John Montgomery
  • 15

    "Guess what! I'm a catalogue!"

    Room - EEEEE Guess what! I'm a catalogue!
    via John Montgomery
  • 16

    "What's this, a flying fish?"

    Cat - Wrangler What's this, a flying fish ? You should have see th
    via John Montgomery
  • 17

    "You should have seen the one that got away"

    Cat - What's this, a flying isT You should have seen the one that got away
    via John Montgomery
  • 18

    "Am I the prettiest cat in the show?"

    Cat - Am I the prettiest cat in the show?
    via John Montgomery
  • 19

    "I wish the judges would hurry up. I want to go home"

    Cat - 36 I wish the judges would hurry up. I want to go home
    via John Montgomery
  • 20

    "This cat flap shows the principle of the cat door. The best cat doors are made of stronger stuff, and many are magnetic"

    Cat - their coN re in erery e in en o not hare But uniess are to wait To reme line pride Jico passes ight from ay house u simply them, or nd teach g what- oing to u in or ll have ciently to rig rs cut door, This cat flap shows the principle of the cat door. The best cat doors are made of stronger stuff, and many are magnetic go as yone, es us Cot of rever, m of clos- etc. y to sible be ave ing on- ale Dut son ard Fly ch ur b
    via John Montgomery
  • 21

    "I'm sure no one will mind if I help myself"

    Tapir - ail Milk te ppl n fow! to mech Goat's tter than even this ther cat's s milk is to add a to your ets An aumans, alanced matter to the v, and what I'm sure no one will mind if I help myself Getting
    via John Montgomery
  • 22

    "Getting down to some serious drinking from a cask full of milk"

    Photograph - Getting down to some serious drining from a cask full of milk They'll never
    via John Montgomery
  • 23

    "They'll never miss this one."

    Cat - Cask full of milk etting own They'll never miss this one.
    via John Montgomery

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history kitten cute Memes amazing Cats animals
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