Inwood photographer William Davis Hassler took thousands of photographs in the early 1900s, many featuring his young son and his two pet cats, Reddy and Peaches, and pet dog, Bounce.
Archive for October, 2020
1884-1897: Sam, Dobbins, and Captain, the Mascot Cats of the New York Yacht Club
Posted: 27th October 2020 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Mascots, Cat MenTags: 37 West 44th Street, 67 Madison Avenue, American Jockey Club, Cats of Old New York, J.P. Morgan, New York City History, New York Yacht Club
In Old New York, canine mascots were forbidden in all the social clubs. Cats were not. Thus, clubs like The Lambs Club, the Lotus Club, and the New York Yacht Club had one or more feline mascots.
The following tale is about three of the many cat mascots of the New York Yacht Club.
1893: Robert Bruce MacMurray, the Horse-Saving Fire Dog of the FDNY
Posted: 12th October 2020 by The Hatching Cat in Dog Heroes, FDNY Horses/Mascots, Horse TalesTags: FDNY history, fire dog, fire horses, James MacMurray, Robert Bruce MacMurray
When James MacMurray left his position as herdsmen of a large New Jersey stock farm in 1893 to become a member of the New York Fire Department, he brought along his constant companion, Robert Bruce, a well-trained black and tan “sheep dog.” The two-year-old collie was trained to herd sheep, so he had a lot to learn about herding fire horses in city traffic. His training paid off in a big way…
