Forget the light bulb. Let’s talk about Thomas Edison’s short film starring Professor Henry Welton and his famous Boxing Cats! This 1894 film may very well be the first ever funny cat film ever made. (I even found out the names of the Boxing Cats…)
Posts Tagged ‘New York City History’
The Pole-Dancing Fire Cats of Gotham
Posted: 14th July 2022 by The Hatching Cat in Cat Mascots, FDNY Horses/MascotsTags: Cats of Old New York, FDNY fire cats, FDNY history, New York City History, Pounce Cat Cafe
Here’s a tribute to a few “pole-dancing” fire cats that I’ve featured in earlier posts, as well as some snippets of fire-cat stories that will be in my upcoming book on FDNY animal mascots (in other words, this is a tease…)
1913: Jim, the Great Dane of 57 West 57th Street Who Saved His Master
Posted: 26th June 2022 by The Hatching Cat in Dog Heroes, Dog TailsTags: 57 West 57th, Cosine Farm, H.T. Galpin, Harry Tower Galpin, New York City History, New York Women's League for Animals
Upcoming Book Preview: This story of a heroic Great Dane who saved his master and two other men during a fire and gas leak at 57 West 57th Street is one of almost 100 stories that will be featured in my upcoming book, The Bravest Animals of Gotham: Tales of FDNY Mascots of Old New York (2023). Jim was not a member of the FDNY, but he was a civilian first responder (or should I say fur-st responder?) who deserves an honorary mention in the book and on this site.
1897: Dan, the Lifesaving Fire Horse, and Dick, his pal, of Engine 4 at Old Slip
Posted: 14th May 2022 by The Hatching Cat in FDNY Horses/Mascots, Horse TalesTags: Engine Company 4, FDNY history, Martin Cook, New York City History, Old Slip
When FDNY veteran Martin Cook received his promotion to captain of Engine 4 in 1886, the company received two horses, Dan and Dick. Even as the two horses aged, they did the city and the FDNY proud. Captain Cook often received offers to trade in his team for younger animals, but he always turned them down. According to the FDNY veteran, there was not a more reliable, more careful, or faster team of fire horses in America.
1899: The First Professional Dog Walker of New York City
Posted: 29th April 2022 by The Hatching Cat in Dog TailsTags: Candace Wheeler, Dog walker, Dogs of Old New York, Mary Atwater Choate, New York City History, New York Exchange for Women's Work
Approached by a curious reporter for the New York Times on a cold, wet day in January 1899, the young woman attracting so much attention on Fifth Avenue explained that she was getting paid by the Exchange for Women’s Work to walk dogs. The reporter did some investigating into this curious new dog walker career…
