Scolding the Cat?

Thanks, Lynda! I do seek out odd, unusual, and interesting examples of ephemera, and I enjoy sharing my collection.

As far as I can determine, the cat in this photo isn't strapped to the chair, though I thought that might be the case, too, when I first saw this photo.

There are a number of things that make it look like the cat is tied to the chair. The cat is wearing a collar-like bow (with a little bell in front), but I don't believe the bow is attached to the chair. There's also a wavy line across the cat's midsection that seems like it could be a piece of rope, but as far as I can tell it's just the pattern of the fur. Finally, there's a piece of cord or vine draped over the back of the chair on the left-hand side. It's possible that the cord is part of a leash attached to the bow or a collar underneath the bow, but I don't think it's holding the cat against the chair.

My interpretation of the scene is that the woman is prompting the cat to show off for the camera by performing some sort of trick. Here's a close-up showing just the cat:



And here's a separate photo showing the woman holding her cat (I think it's wearing the same bow with bell)



I'm not sure about this photo--does the cat's expression indicate that it's contently purring in its owner's arms? Or is it casting a wary eye at the photographer and getting ready to bolt?

And, lastly, I think your appraisal of the date is spot on. I bought these two photos at an antique mall as part of a small lot of about ten photos, three of which were dated--two were from 1897 or 1899 and a third was from 1911.

P.S. Not to make a long note longer, but here's a third photo from this small collection. I believe this is the cat owner's husband, and some of the other photos that I haven't yet posted show him with three young chikldren. And as you can see, they must have liked oval picture frames. 8-)