Buzzer the Cat

Arnold Genthe was a cat fancier. He kept a cat in his studio - four in succession were all named Buzzer. In his portrait work, Genthe often used Buzzer as a prop. The pictures here give some clue as to what Buzzer thought about this.

“It is told that at the age of four, when I was taken by the nurse to look at my newly arrived brother Hugo, I seriously remarked, ‘I’d like a little kitten better.’ I am fond of dogs, but cats have always meant more to me, and they have been the wise and sympathetic companions of many a solitary hour.” –Arnold Genthe, As I Remember (1936)

 Buzzer, ca. 1912

 

Arnold Genthe - Europe

Here are "Travel Views of Europe." I'm having a fun time trying to guess the country each photo is from.

 [these look like Spanish gypsies to me]

 

 [I'm guessing Spain or some other Mediterranean country]

 

 [my guess is Western Europe - Holland, France, Belgium...?]

 

 [this also looks Mediterranean to me - Spain, Italy?]

 

 [the headscarves say Eastern Europe to me]

 

 [Greece, maybe?]

 

 [my best guess here is Spain]

 

 [there's a sign posted at center-left that is frustratingly just outside the bounds 

of legibility...what I can see of it looks possibly German, Polish or Dutch]

  

[I'm going with Holland on this one]

Arnold Genthe - Japan

These photos are from a set labeled "Travel views of Japan and Korea," dated 1908. These all look like Japan to me.

Arnold Genthe

Arnold Genthe was a prominent photographer of the early 20th century. He worked all over the world, but is particularly known for his work in San Francisco's Chinatown. The photos here were taken at Long Beach, New York in the 1920s.