The Cat Sold It! Feline Stars of the Advertising World [1 ed.] 9780517563038, 0517563037

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Feline Stars of the Advertising

World

MUNCASTER & ELLEN YANOW SAWER authors of The Cat Made Me Buy

ALICE L

It!

with 113 beautiful

«

full : color

photograph;

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

The Cat

Sold

Feline Stars of the Advertising

written and designed by

MUNCASTER & ELLEN YANOW SAWYER ALICE

L.

Photography by Peter Basdeka

CROWN

PUBLISHERS, INC.

New

York

It!

World

We

dedicated our first book to our

(who "introduced"

first cats

This book

dedicated to our other cats

is

so they

Copyright All rights reserved.

No

part of this

©

us).

1986 by Alice

wont

be jealous.

Muncaster and Ellen Yanow Sawyer

L.

book may be reproduced or transmitted

in

any form or by any means, electronic or

mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission

in

writing from the publisher.

Published by

Crown

Publishers, Inc., 225 Park

Avenue South,

the Canadian

CROWN

is

a

New

York,

MANDA

New

York 10003, and represented

Group

trademark of Crown Publishers,

Manufactured

in

Inc.

Hong Kong

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Muncaster, Alice

The 1.

cat sold

Cats in advertising.

I.

II.

HF5827.M87

L.

it!

Sawyer, Ellen Yanow.

Title.

86-4484

659.l'96368'009

1986

ISBN 0-517-56303-7 10

COVER AND The kitten

9

8

7

6

5

4

TITLE PAGE ILLUSTRATION: Belding is

an active trademark of Belding

3

2

Heminway Company, Inc. Heminway Company, Inc.

in

Canada by

Feline Stars of the Advertising

magine, for a moment, that you are a time traveler. Invisible,

you're able to

fly

back to the past

(maybe with your pet and see firsthand what

new

tow)

living in 1880, 1900,

1925, and 1940 was really

vou return

cat in

like.

Then, when

safely to the present, you'll

perspective on history

—

have a

that subject

we

usually think of as nothing but a boring

memorization of dates and names. You'll be surprised,

we

artists

think, to discover

who

commerce! Wherever you pause

in

your

journey, you'll see cats used in advertising. In fact, they're

some of the

real stars

of the

advertising world and have been pictured in

almost every possible kind of advertising.

About

a

dozen years ago, we started finding

these feline celebrities. Because is

not

we

like cats

a prerequisite for

you to

created early advertising trade cards cleverly drew the

rather closely to see

&

trip

development of national and international

(although that

products into the card's

drum and

companions to cat lovers during your time but have also been important to the

clues that eventually led to the discovery of

that cats have not only been beloved

The

World

it.

illustration.

But sometimes you had to look was made into

In this 1880s card, a thread spool

the strings of the bass fiddle were

made

a

of thread. Jonas Brook

began doing business in the United States in the late 1 800s, but the company's roots date back to the 1 840s in England. Bros., Limited,

3

Children were supposed to be well-behaved and well-dressed in turn-of-the-century America, and this earlv diecut (shaped) advertising calendar top shows a Victorian artist's portraval of the perfect little bov. Of course,

mothers didn't always dress their sons this way in the late 1 800s, but some of these modified sailor-bov outfits were still being seen in the early 1920s. Cats were often included in Victorian art because family pets were important members of the household.

4

join us in this adventure)

we began

noticing

have so often turned to the cat for help.

—

that cats appeared in the ads in old magazines.

There's no doubt about

We

medicinal tonic in

catching. They're interesting to watch. They're

was another

cute and curious. Sometimes they act

saw

a cat

with

an ad from the

1

a strange

890s. There

soap ad.

it

We

began

was

successful.

a special

We

how w idespread

just

mission back then

wanted

in a

— and

to determine

the involvement of cats

in advertising really was.

we

So

looked

making

In

our

and there posing on the covers. Occasionally

of advertising.

one turned up on the colorful box of

to

greeted us from

magazine covers, posters, and

we found them on

bottle or

sometimes on cartons or

We

were hooked.

We

signs.

box

Sometimes

labels,

if

its

both products are

Me Buy

Now

show you more

we've gone beyond

cats

—

that,

including the ones

that dazzle audiences today. But the

advertising you'll see, along with these furry

spokescats, will be better appreciated

if

you

try to imagine yourself back in the times

became

the ads were created.

detectives,

wonderful persuaders. And

if

you

look at the past, you'll see what

join us in a

we found

from household

It!,

focused on cats from the pre-television era

tin containers.

determined to find more of these purr-fectly

cats endorsing everything

they add pizzazz to

book, The Cat Made

first

we

felines

silly,

basically the same.

stacks of old sheet music and found a cat here

^ame. Some fabulous

cats are eye-

product look better than

a

competition, even

at

a child's

And

mysterious, or regal. ads,

it

The

invitation

is

open. All

it

takes

is

when

a little

imagination on your part. Think of every cat

you see

as a cat

ARE THERE

—

of the present because

an observer of

life

YOU

around you

War

cleaners to sewing thread, newspapers and

Victorian times, the pre- World

magazines to cigars and cigarettes, theater

the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression

productions to whiskey and wine, breakfast

and World

cereal to fountain pens, blankets to perfume,

seventies,

ice

cream

to Christmas gift catalogs, candy to

vou

people

Earlv

and

II

era, the fifties, sixties,

eighties. It's really

We've provided

years,

a short

not

difficult.

guide for your tour

and an explanation of each picture along the

cat food. If

War

I

in

like cats,

who

vou can understand whv the

way. The rest

is

up

to you.

.

.

.

are responsible for selling goods

American manufacturers often

provided

retailers

with small colorful

which were given customers. The Northwestern

advertising cards,

away

to

Soap Companv distributed

a series of

cards picturing the Three Little Kittens from the popular children's storv to soap.

of the

promote

Shown

its

at right

White Cross is

the

first

card

series.

s

3IANNAHU

A CHAMBER OPERA 6

b

tlixri.i.

'Mi*

The

11

Late Nineteenth Century

around you, America

millions of these advertising cards to

is

manufacturers and storekeepers,

booming. In the future, people will call this the

them away

time of the

Industrial Revolution, but

everyone is

now

just calls

"progress."

it

The year

As you take

a trip into

vou notice how the

Many

town from

ladies are careful

hems drag

their skirt

your seat

paste

it

else does. It's

your scrapbook,

in

as

remarkable that these

cards have brought colorful art into most

1899.

Street.

everyone

gave

to their customers. You'll take

home and

yours

who

in the

mud

the farm,

not to

let

along Main

of the gentlemen you see from

in the

horse-drawn wagon have

new music

where

called "ragtime"

is

a strange

being played on

There are so many new inventions these days

—

typewriters, telephones, and "horseless

carriages."

One

of your fondest memories

is

Chicago

in 1893.

You

smile as you think that

cowboys and Indians are becoming more civilized. The nation's attention recently finally

has turned to reports of the Spanish-American

the piano.

Business

for the first time.

that of attending the fantastic World's Fair in

handlebar mustaches, and you pass several saloons and "men's clubs"

American homes

is

growing so

America almost

fast it's

daily. Factories,

changing

manned by

numbers of immigrants from Europe, are seemingly everywhere, and these families are bringing new customs to your town. The railroads that now link East and West have ended the era of the stagecoach forever. At the general store, you receive a small large

War

instead of the escapades of

Wild West

outlaws.

From

here,

you look forward to that once-

in-a-lifetime experience

—

"the turn of the

The Victorian era is drawing to a Queen Victoria nears the end of her England. Your family pet a cat, of

century." close as

reign in

course

—

—

can only look

at

you questioningly

card picturing a beautifully colored illustration

you daydream about the marvelous things

of a cat with a spool of thread. In the past few

must

years, lithography

companies have sold

surely

lie

ahead

in the

as

that

long-awaited

twentieth century.

—

—

for not to mention a beautiful bride wrote cover from his master, is documented as early as 1 697 when Charles Perrault Le Chat Botte. This beautiful a piece of British sheet music shows several scenes from the story. Chamber operas such as this one from 1 868 were intended for performance by a small orchestra in intimate surroundings in contrast to more classic,

"Puss in Boots," the story of a

brilliant cat that

wins fame and fortune

—

longer operas.

1

Competition was tierce among the manufacturers of earlv children's games and puzzles. If one company came up with a good idea, another soon adapted it. So it is not surprising to find cat bandit puzzles from both McLoughlin Brothers of New York (Magic Picture Puzzles 1893), shown above, and from Parker Brothers of Salem, Massachusetts (Robber Kitten Picture Puzzle late 1890s), at the bottom of page 9. McLoughlin Brothers was the first and largest publisher of children's books in America, and became quite well known for the exceptionally beautiful illustrations found on its books, puzzles, games, and paper dolls. The company was started in 1828 by John McLoughlin and was sold to a competitor in 1920.

— —

S. Parker began producing games in the early 1880s and named his company Parker Brothers when he convinced his brother to join in the venture in 1888. The company has created over a thousand different games since its inception and it still flourishes. Shown at the top of page 9 is the box lid of another popular Parker Brothers game sold from 1899 to 1904. The illustration was also used on a puzzle

George

in the

Robber Kitten puzzle box.

9

Maine coon

cats are exotic-looking longhaired felines that are considered

by cat fanciers to be America's Stove

Company

first

native breed of cat.

The Michigan named for

of Detroit featured "Garland" (a "coon" cat

its popular stove brand) on this turn-of-the-century advertising card. Coaland wood-burning stoves used for cooking and heating during this era often were decorated with intricate nickel-plated Art Nouveau designs no doubt to appeal to the women who spent a good portion of their lives using them in the kitchen. The Michigan Stove Company dates back to 864 and, at one time, it was considered the largest manufacturer of stoves and ranges in the world. The company was sold to the Welbilt 1

Corporation

in 1955.

«

Just about every youngster has played tiddledywinks at

another but,

—

in

1892,

some lucky

one time or

game box shown was made by

children received the

most outstanding version of the game. It McLoughlin Brothers of New York. The cats on the box lid also stand watch inside and players must flip tiny plastic disks through their open mouths to score points.

at right

a

Tea Company used the back of this die-cut card to advertise its 135 stores in 1883. The first of its stores opened in 1859 as a discount shop, selling tea bought directly from clipper ships docked in New York City's harbor. The company was the first to develop private label foods ("house brands") in the 1880s and, in the 1920s, was the first to make prepackaged cuts of meat available at selfservice meat counters. Today there are over a thousand A&P supermarkets nationwide

The Great

Atlantic and Pacific

"Little Charles"

was

a print ^iven free to subscribers of The Home, a

monthlv magazine

and Frederick Thorpe. Begun in 874, it carried both nonfiction and short stories until it was merged in 878 with another Thorpe monthly for children and renamed Home Companion: A Monthly for Young People. That publication eventually became Woman's Home Companion (1897-1957), one of the most prominent earlv women's magazines. "Little Charles" was printed bv Haskell and Allen, a Boston lithography company that produced art prints in the style of Currier and Ives. Never a serious contender in the competitive printmakin^ business, the firm closed in 1875 after just four years of production. published in Cleveland, Ohio, bv

S. L.

1

1

The "Old Tom" of Old

Tom

Gin came to life on this advertising card dated October 1885. It announced the appointment of Du Vivier & Co. of New York as U.S. agent for Boord & Son Ltd. Old Tom was a sweet gin that was popular in the late nineteenth century and, one legend says, was named for a cat. Boord & Son dates back to 866 in London. They began their own U.S. operations for the sale of gin and vodka in 1935. 1

Charley

's

Aunt was a classic Victorian farce

playwright Brandon

—

a three-act

Thomas (1856—1914). The

plot,

comedy by

British actor

which doesn't involve

and

a cat, revolves

around two college students (Jack and Charley) who invite their sweethearts to their rooms during a special college weekend to meet Charley's aunt from Brazil. When the aunt is delayed, another boy impersonates the aunt by donning a feminine costume. Then the real aunt arrives! The play was first performed at the Royalty Theatre in London in December 1892. This poster, which measures 27" x 36", was used in Massachusetts for a later production (ca. 1895-1900). The play has been made into a number of movies in at least three countries the most memorable being a 1925 version starring British comedian Syd Chaplin (the older brother of American comedy star Charlie Chaplin).

—

Black Cat Whiskey was an

important product of Ullman, Einstein & Co., Cleveland, Ohio.

The Him

dates to 1881, and the

Black Cat brand

whiskev 1898.

—w

as

—

a

blended

introduced

in

The company was when

dissolved alter 1919,

18th

Amendment

the

to the U.S.

Constitution prohibited the

manufacturing and

selling of

alcoholic beverages.

"Cheese

it!"

was

a slang

expression in the late 1800s

which meant "Look out!" (as in "Cheese it, the cops!"). The Schumacher and Ettinger Co. printed this Cheese It! cigar label design and offered it to cigar manufacturers and retailers for use on cigar boxes. The design is from before 1892, when the prominent New York lithography house was merged into the American Lithographic

Company. Shown here from

a salesman's

offering the labels

is

a card

sample book,

w ith

or

without the Cheese It! name imprinted at $20 per thousand

— two

Colorado^

-M

16

stblorado-

cents each.

The

Tobacco Company, founded in 1840 by Daniel Catlin, produced cigar, pipe, and cigarette Louis until it was sold to the American Tobacco Company in 1898. The cat and kittens shown in the sign appeared on the company's advertising in the 1880s and 1890s and were apparently intended to create an association in the minds of consumers between the interesting felines and the company name. Because meerschaum pipes were known to be expensive pipes of the highest quality, Catlin probably named this tobacco Meerschaum and pictured such pipes on its boxes and packages to imply that the tobacco also was of a premium quality. Catlin

tobacco in

—

St.

—

17

Games

—

and the game of Lotto has enjoved success for nearly a game was produced by McLoughlin Brothers ol New York, one of the largest

of chance have always intrigued people

century. This version of the

producers of beautifully colored children's books and games during the Victorian

18

era.

J.

O.

REDFORD, "('PRESENTING

LOUISVILLE, KY. f

Mendel, Gosling

&

Co.,

Jobbers of Hats.

Cats in hats brought the advertising message

Leopold Mendel and I. W. Gosling, distributors of hats, on this 1894 calendar. Such calendars were often given awav to storekeepers to keep a manufacturer's or jobber's name in view a practice still used bv companies todav. Jacob Redford was a traveling salesman for Mendel, Gosling & Co. to

life

for

w holesale

—

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