Photograph by Wallace Kirkland, Illinois, 1945. Source: LIFE Photo Archive.

Two young girls from inner city of Chicago playing with kittens and talking to a farmer during their stay on a farm that is part of the “Adventures in Brotherhood” experiment being conducted by a Presbyterian church.

“The little girl with the cat in her lap turned out to be mom.”

Philadelphia, early 1930s.

Out of the cascade of vintage mom pictures in my Facebook feed yesterday, the best had to be this one, from my friend Sue. She’s a poet and has two excellent Tumblrs. Check out Maggie: A Magazine (poetry and dogs) and Franklinstein (mashing up Gertrude Stein, Ben Franklin, and the history of Germantown, Philadelphia).

pc meisje , poes kleurboek, j 60-70 by janwillemsen on Flickr.

Richard Parks: Portrait of Susan Parks with her daughter Leslie and cats. Tallahassee, Florida, ca. 1974. Source: State Archives of Florida, via Florida Memory.

Carolyn and Allen by Vermont Historical Society on Flickr.

Sled Pals by Wooway1 on Flickr.

Murray School Pet Day, 1952. Dublin, California. Source: Dublin Heritage Park and Museums, via Calisphere.

Since most of the children attending Murray School at this time lived on ranches or farms, taking care of animals was a commonplace experience for them. Once a year, they would bring and talk about those animals they considered pets. Pictured here are cats, chickens, rabbits, horses, dogs, sheeps, and dogs. 

Mr. Clayton, Carolyn & Cat by Vermont Historical Society on Flickr.

Boy with Cat by Vermont Historical Society on Flickr.

Postcard from Volendam, the Netherlands. Source: janwillemsen on Flickr.