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).

no smoking by the ghost of me on Flickr.

postcard, by Louise Voce, 1982.

From the book Siamese Cats by Louise Van der Meid, 1960. Photographs by the author. Source: Open Library.

Studio portrait of five kittens on a pedestal, probably taken in Compton’s Photo Studio in Brigham City, Utah. Between 1895 and 1925. Source: Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives, via Mountain West Digital Library.

Harold W. Scheffler: Photograph of Anne Scheffler with cats at Hopongo (New Paradise), Rendova, October 1967. Source: UC San Diego, Mandeville Special Collections Library, via Calisphere.

P.S.: VCL.

Flu epidemic, Dublin, California. Source: Collection of the Dublin Heritage Museum, via Calisphere.

By 1919, the influenza pandemic killed between 20 and 40 million people. So great was the fear of contracting this deadly virus that people as far away as Dublin took whatever precautions they could to protect themselves.

My dream man? My dream office? Both.

Guy Bogart in 1955, sitting and working at his desk at 545 Euclid Ave. Source: Beaumont (California) Library District, via Calisphere.

Guy Bogart is seen here hard at work at his desk. By the many pictures and figurines of cats on and around his desk, it is evident that Bogart is quite the admirer of cats. In 1924 Guy Bogart was elected to the Beaumont City Council, and belonged to virtually every other organization in the town of Beaumont. Bogart also served as the Mayor of Beaumont and the President of the Beaumont Chamber of Commerce.

More about Guy here.

From the book Siamese Cats by Louise Van der Meid, 1960. Photographs by the author. Source: Open Library.

Postcard, 1962. Source: janwillemsen on Flickr.