The Cat in Photography

Cats and photographers, with their shared watchfulness and curiosity, were made for each other. The romance between cat and camera is charmingly apparent in this selection of more than 100 pictures by photographers, photojournalists, and humble snapshooters alike. There are rich, regal cats, like Cecil Beaton's, and poor cats, like the street cats of Weegee; cats in action, like George Balanchine's cat executing a grand jete for its master, and cats in repose. This delightful collection begins with the first daguerreotypes and continues to the present day -- including such greats as Erwitt, Atget, Kertesz, Cartier-Bresson, Weston, Cunningham, and even Avedon. In addition to the images, five engaging essays explore the relationship of the cat to the camera. Elegantly designed, The Cat in Photography is an inspired photographic history and a wry and intelligent gift for cat lovers.