1876 – The Wild Cat

This illustration of a “Wild Cat” by Harrison Weir, appears in the 1878 edition of the “Chatterbox Album of Animals”, published by W.W.Gardner. It is a serious attempt at educating the children readers about the difference between a free-ranging domestic cat and a true wild cat, which even by this time, were mostly found in Scotland. The drawing is dated 1876, just 5 years after the first Crystal Palace Show in which the Duke of Sutherland exhibited a fine example of a Scottish Wild Cat for the public to view. The text accompanying the illustration, simply reads: “What a thick, bushy tail this cat has? She is a wild cat. Your pussy’s tail tapers to a fine point. Not so the wild cat’s tail. It is quite as large at the very end as it is as the base, and that end is always black. The wild cat’s skin was at one time used as a trimming.” Prints currently available in A4, A3 and A2 sizing options.