The Hatching Cat of Gotham

When Hafiz saw the portrait free,
By Monty Flagg, of him and me,
He made remarks one can’t repeat
In any reputable sheet. — Oliver Herford, in Confessions of a Caricaturist, 1917

One of the most notable literary cats of the early 20th century was Hafiz, the pet cat of American humorist, author, and illustrator Oliver Herford. The cat was no doubt named after Hafiz, the Persian cat featured in George Eliot’s “Daniel Deronda” (1876).

Hafix was described as “a smoky Persian of remarkable size and beauty.” His unique coloring was “brightly lionesque”–a mix of tawny orange with gray and black stripes. His deep eyes were amber by day and emerald by night.

As a young kitten in 1904, Hafiz served as the inspiration and model for Herford’s “Rubaiyat of a Persian Kitten.” This ode to a mischievous kitten is filled with short verses, musings, and numerous illustrations featuring Hafiz as a kitten partaking in various feline escapades.

Here is one of my favorite verses from the book:

I sometimes think the Pussy-Willows grey
Are Angel Kittens who have lost their way.
And every Bulrush on the river bank,
A Cat-Tail from some lovely Cat astray.
Sometimes I think perchance that Allah may,
When he created Cats, have thrown away
The Tails He marred in making, and they grew
To Cat-Tails and to Pussy-Willows grey.

In 1911, Hafiz once again served as a “mews” for Herford. That year, Herford published “The Kitten’s Garden of Verses,” a book of 25 short and sweet verses with titles such as The Joy Ride, Kitten’s Night Thought, and The Milk Jug.

Not only did the book feature numerous of illustrations of Hafiz, but Herford also dedicated the book to his beloved cat.

Oliver Herford

So, who was this kind and gentle man who wrote sweet nothings about his Persian cat?

Oliver Brooke Herford was born in Sheffield, England, in 1863. When he was six years old, his father, Dr. Brooke Herford, a Unitarian minister, was offered a job in the United States. The family moved to Boston and later to Chicago.

Herford returned to England to study at Lancaster College, and then returned to America to attend Antioch College in Ohio. He later studied art at the Slade School in London and at the Julian studios in Paris. In 1904, he married poet and playwright Margaret (Peggy) Regan in London.

During his career, Herford worked for Life, Ladies’ Home Journal, and Harper’s Weekly (at Harper’s he wrote a column called “Pen and Inklings” under Editor Norman Hapgood). He authored 28 books and 4 plays, and created close to 100 illustrations of Hafiz the cat–many of which he sketched at The Players social club in Grammercy Park.

According to one New York newspaper, Herford’s conception of cats “was treasured by feline lovers the world over.” And President Woodrow Wilson once called him “the very delightful wit and artist.”

The Stuyvesant Apartments on East 18th Street

I do not know how long Hafiz lived, but I do know that he spent all of his life living in what is considered to be Manhattan’s very first apartment building for the middle class.

The Stuyvesant Apartments (aka Rutherford Stuyvesant Flats) at 142 East 18th Street was the brainchild of Rutherford Stuyvesant, the nephew of Peter Gerard Stuyvesant (who was the great-great grandson of Petrus Stuyvesant, Director-General of the colony of New Netherland.)

Designed by Richard Morris Hunt and completed in 1870, the five-story, brick and stone Victorian Gothic building was modeled after a new European concept–the apartment house. Stuyvesant was very taken by this new style of living while he was traveling abroad during the Civil War years.  

The Stuyvesant Apartments featured four artists’ studios on the top floor and 16 spacious, sound-proof apartments comprising four, seven, or nine large rooms. The parlor (public room) was in the front because it had the most light. Behind that were bedrooms, followed by the dining room in the middle, and the kitchen and bathroom in the rear. Two staircases gave access to the floors: one for the occupants and a service stairwell for deliveries and servants.

According to an article in The Sun about the building, “The apartment or flat idea, which originated in Paris, had spread through every country of Europe but England, which would not tolerate this sort of dwelling. Its popularity impressed Mr. Stuyvesant so much that he decided to build an apartment on his property when he returned home.”

One of the original residents was Bayard Taylor, a well known lecturer, novelist, poet, translator, war correspondent, and essayist. Other famous residents included landscape architect Calvert Vaux; Elizabeth B. Custer, the widow of General George Custer; and artists E. L. Henry, Mrs. Emily M. Scott, Julia Dillon, and Frederick James, all of whom occupied the four studios in the late 1880s.

Oliver and Peggy moved into the building shortly after they married. They did not have any children, so the only two other occupants of their small apartment was Hafiz and a servant.

Oliver died in the apartment on July 5, 1935. It was reported that he died in poverty. His wife had become gravely ill shortly before his death; she died in December of that same year.

By the mid 1900s, the Stuyvesant Apartments could not compete with the newer apartment buildings and their must-have features like elevators and other modern conveniences and décor.  On September 22, 1957, plans were set in motion to demolish the grand structure.

Demolishing the sound-proof building was a challenge, but by 1960 the 14-story Gramercy Green apartment building was standing in its place. If you ever happen to pass by, think of Herford and Hafiz the Persian cat.

If you enjoyed this tale about Hafiz the Persian cat, you may also enjoy reading about the 19th-century feline models of cat artist J.H. Dolph.