the kitten in the boot

[warning: crossposted]

I haven't read Elizabeth Gaskell's "Cranford" yet, but came across an
illustrated edition of it last week that had a frontispiece of a cat
being put into a boot. On looking up an e-text of it, I find that the
incident is really in there (chapter 8) though the reason for putting
the cat in the boot isn't one you'd guess at (verging on alt.tasteless
territory).

Is this the origin of the kitten-in-the-boot image in postcards?

Any sightings of the idea in print before 1853?

============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ==============
Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760
http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/ for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975
stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557

Jack Campin wrote:

I haven't read Elizabeth Gaskell's "Cranford" yet, but came across an
illustrated edition of it last week that had a frontispiece of a cat
being put into a boot. On looking up an e-text of it, I find that the
incident is really in there (chapter 8) though the reason for putting
the cat in the boot isn't one you'd guess at (verging on alt.tasteless
territory).

Is this the origin of the kitten-in-the-boot image in postcards?

Any sightings of the idea in print before 1853?

Not a chance, Jack.

Snatching lace from booted pussy's vomit takes some kind of Victorian
chutzpah.

--
--
Michael
http://larvatus.livejournal.com/

Jack Campin - bogus address wrote:

[warning: crossposted]

I haven't read Elizabeth Gaskell's "Cranford" yet, but came across an
illustrated edition of it last week that had a frontispiece of a cat
being put into a boot. On looking up an e-text of it, I find that the
incident is really in there (chapter 8) though the reason for putting
the cat in the boot isn't one you'd guess at (verging on alt.tasteless
territory).

Is this the origin of the kitten-in-the-boot image in postcards?

Any sightings of the idea in print before 1853?


Postcards? The postcard was patented in 1861 by John P. Charlton of
Philadelphia. European postcards followed about 9 years later. I think the
first picture postcard in the USA was about 1893 showing the World Colombian
Exposition in Chicago. Picture postcards came to the UK in 1894.


Francis A. Miniter