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Two Collectors, One Passion
Two Collectors, One Passion

By Margaret Carpenter and Alice Muncaster

Pawprints on Paper
Pawprints on Paper

s it possible for cats to spark a Thanks to game boxes, like the
friendship between two people today’s technology, turn of the century
Imiles (and states) apart? we share and McLoughlin
Absolutely! Thanks to the Antique compare our col- Brothers’ game Black
Advertising Association of America (AAAA), lections with each Cat or when kittens
we (Margaret Carpenter and Alice Muncaster) other through text adorn a cigar or soap
discovered a mutual interest that started an messages, calls, box, the “spokescats”
online friendship of purrfect proportions: the shared photo files, benefit the advertisers
use of cats in advertising. and emails – and with their endless
of course, at the AAAA conventions. (See club variety of personas.
information on page 60.) Our collections are somewhat unique since
cats have appeared in so many different kinds
of advertising and packaging, and in such a
Feline Finesse broad assortment of genres. Many collectors
Cats have a long and somewhat complicated specialize in one type of product (tobacco or
relationship with mankind. From working breweriana for example) or one genre (such as
farm cats chasing mice to pampered pets, tin signs, tin containers or paper advertising).
felines of all sorts have been featured in art and We’ve become multifaceted in what we each
literature for centuries. So, it's no wonder they collect since it’s the cat’s image we seek.
began appearing in advertising when market- Ephemera advertising is our favorite category
ing mass-produced goods became a to share with others
widespread practice in the
late 1800s. And advertising
with cats takes all sorts of Tales of the Curious Cat
forms. From depictions of Cats made ideal attention-getting images
cats on because of their varied qualities and
attributes. They are
known to be

Kitty resilient and sure-
Kat footed, so their
Shoes, the image worked
all-time
favorite
promotional
cards of the
authors

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