JULY 2021 Volume 2 No.1
CELEBRATING
150 YEARS! 1871-2021
FEATURES: LONGHAIR – SYLVIE (1879)
THE FOUNDATION CAT SHOWS OF 1871
SHORTHAIR – MISS TOODLES (1903)
THE DESCENDANTS OF BASTET
GENETICS – WHAT YOU CAN TEST FOR? A PERSIAN RHAPSODY IN BLUE and more! INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE FOR CAT FANCIERS, LINECHASERS & FOLLOWERS OF FELINE HISTORY
“Today’s achievements are part of tomorrow’s history”
HARRISON WEIR COLLECTION © A-Cat-Emy Concepts
PUBLISHED BY A-CAT-EMY CONCEPTS for THE HARRISON WEIR COLLECTION EDITOR
JULY 2021 VOLUME 2 NUMBER 1
John G. Smithson
CELEBRATING 150 YEARS OF CAT SHOWS!
editor@felishistorica.com HISTORY PARTNERS The CFA Foundation
EDITORIAL – THE START OF OUR SECOND YEAR! The Editor outlines the contents of Felis Historica – Volume 2 No.1!
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COLUMNISTS & CONTRIBUTORS
CONTRIBUTING TEAM MEMBERS Gallery of our Team of Columnists, Contributors & Correspondents
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SYLVIE (1879) - by John G. Smithson The history behind one of the earliest Silver Longhair winners!
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THE FELINE HISTORICAL MUSEUM – Part Two - by Karen Lawrence Establishment of the CFA Foundation, Inc.
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EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GENETICS YOU CAN LEARN FROM YOUR CAT! PART 13 - by Dr. Leslie Lyons Genetic Testing for Domestic Cats
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A GALLERY OF SILVER LONGHAIRS (PERSIANS)
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MISS TOODLES (1903) – by John G. Smithson A phenomenally successful early 20th Century English Shorthair
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THE DESCENDANTS OF BASTET – by Karen Lawrence. New Book release information…
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A PERSIAN RHAPSODY IN BLUE – by John Smithson. New Book release information…
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THE YEAR OF THE CAT – by John Smithson We celebrate 150 years of Cat Shows! Harrison Weir, Lady Dorothy Nevill, Dr. Charles Darwin and others!
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THE HARRISON WEIR COLLECTION - RECENT ADDITIONS
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CELEBRATING MODERN DAY LEADING CATS – Long-hair Breed Type – Chinchilla Silver Persian male CFA RW, TICA SGC. MISSIONHILL TIMELESS ENCHANTMENT
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CAT POEMS and OTHER FANCIES / & TEN CATS – by Graham Harrop
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Karen Lawrence (St. Catharines, Canada)
Lorraine Shelton (California, USA)
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Dr. Leslie Lyons (Missouri, USA)
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Chloe Chung (Hong Kong)
Laura Vocelle (Muscat, Oman)
Dr. Victor Zaalov (Acre, Israel)
Valerie Sheldrake Feline Historian (Suffolk, UK)
Jamie Christian (Ohio, USA)
PHOTOGRAPHY & GRAPHICS
Helmi & Ken Flick (Florida, USA)
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Jack Terry (Florida, USA)
CONTENT All Rights Reserved © A-Cat-Emy Concepts SUBSCRIPTIONS Published Monthly Single Issue $4.00 USD ANNUAL $48.00 USD
Editorial ’FELIS HISTORICA’ JOHN G. SMITHSON EDITOR
OUR COVER PHOTO ‘The Harrison Weir Tankard’ also known as ‘The Crystal Palace Tankard’ presented to Harrison Weir by the Crystal Palace Company, July 1871, to commemorate the success of the first Crystal Palace Cat Show. Now part of the Silver Plate of The Lewes Town Council. Photo: Tom Reeves COPYRIGHT ISSN: 2744-4430 National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa © A-CAT-EMY CONCEPTS / FELIS HISTORICA THE HARRISON WEIR COLLECTION No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, screen capture, or otherwise, without prior written permission. No responsibility is accepted for accuracy of advertisements or information. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED www.felis-historica.com www.harrisonweir.com
The month of July 2021 represents a significant milestone in the history of the Cat Fancy, as on July 13th, we celebrate the sesquicentennial (150th) anniversary of the first organised Cat Show at the Sydenham Crystal Palace, in London – hosted by the Crystal Palace Company, and managed by Mr. Fred Wilson, head of the Natural History Department. This show, the brainchild of Mr. Harrison Weir, who was subsequently dubbed ‘The Father of the Cat Fancy,’ essentially marks the founding point of the hobby now linked to cat associations world-wide, which today represent literally millions of faithful adherents. In the realm of human-animal relationships, cats can hold their own. Back in the 1990’s when I served a term as National President of the New Zealand Cat Fancy, I sought some statistics on cats within my own country, situated as it was, 12,000 miles from where the birth of cat shows took place in England. At that time, there were 3.5 cats for every dog in New Zealand, and we were able to boast the highest per capita population of cats, of any nation on earth! It has long been known that cats sell, and that is certainly evidenced by the constant use of cats in advertising world-wide, beginning in the mid to late 19th century. Neither Harrison Weir, nor the Crystal Palace Company were prepared for the public response to that first show. The railway line to the Crystal Palace was so packed, that on the second day the Crystal Palace Company was forced to put on more trains to move the capacity crowds. In two days, approximately 20,000 visitors attended the show of cats, an unprecedented number even for the most popular natural history exhibitions of the day! As a result, the Crystal Palace Company decided to honour Weir for his idea, presenting him with a silver tankard, as a memorial of the event, and immediately began planning a second National Cat Show at the Palace for December that year. A photo of that tankard, now housed in the Silver Plate of the Lewes Town Council, is featured on the cover of this month’s issue.
JULY 2021
IN CELEBRATION OF
SILVER LONGHAIRS
Due to the length of our feature on the 1871 shows, we have had to pull at least one other regular article from this month’s magazine. But we still have our regular columns from both Karen Lawrence of the CFA Foundation’s Feline Historical Museum, which opens its doors again in Alliance Ohio this month; plus the regular Genetics article by Dr. Leslie Lyons, which this month informs us as to what genetic testing is currently available for domestic cats. On a personal level, to celebrate this memorable milestone in the fancy, both Karen Lawrence and I have also each published a book on the history and development of specific breeds. Karen’s on the early history of the Abyssinian cat, while my own examines the early role of the Blue Persian cat in the development of the Persian breed. Both books are limited editions and are currently available, so take this golden opportunity to acquire one for yourself or a dear friend as a gift. The history articles in this issue deal with Silvers, an early longhair named ‘Sylvie’, who was a forerunner of the modern-day Chinchilla, and recognised by Weir as unique. Our modern-day feature Chinchilla is RW, SGC Missionhill Timeless Enchantment, bred by Munira Murrey, who is based in British Columbia, Canada.
Above and below: GC. Missionhill Fait Accompli - as a winning kitten in 1997, and as a winning adult cat in 1998. In
If you wish to stay abreast of the latest Feline History discoveries, then ‘Felis Historica’ is surely your first port of call – share the love! and purchase a subscription for a friend. Happy ‘Cat Show’ Anniversary to one and all! Enjoy!
John EDITOR
Photos: courtesy of Missionhill Cattery