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AssetID: 34282330

Headline: Funny Animals Scenes From 1914

Caption: If you thought funny cats were a modern internet phenomenon, then observe these pictures from over a hundred years ago. Harry Whittier Frees (1879–1953) was an American photographer who created novelty postcards and children's books based on his photographs of posed animals. He dressed the animals and posed them in human situations with props, often with captions. In these photographs from 1914, Frees has arranged kittens and puppies in scenes including flying an early airplane, driving a train, playing the violin and even getting married. Because Frees' images used live animals, the stress of composing the scenes took its toll. According to Pennsylvania Heritage Magazine: "The work was challenging, time-consuming and nerve-wracking. It caused Frees so much anxiety that he photographed his furry subjects for only three months a year. To make the situation even more difficult for Frees, only about 30 negatives out of every 100 could be used. Consequently, he needed the remainder of the year to recuperate from exhaustion and formulate new ideas." On the choice of cats for his photos Frees states in his book Animal Land on the Air: "Rabbits are the easiest to photograph in costume, but incapable of taking many 'human' parts. Puppies are tractable when rightly understood, but the kitten is the most versatile animal actor, and possesses the greatest variety of appeal. Frees was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1879, after which his family moved to Oaks, Pennsylvania, where he did his famous works. In the 1940s, he moved to Florida, where he battled cancer, but ended up committing suicide in 1953.

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