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Before Instagram, amateur photographers and hobbyists still entertained themselves by capturing their everyday lives in photographs. If you thought filling your camera roll with pet pics was a modern phenomenon, these photos prove otherwise. Many of these below involve cats (likely because they tend to hold still for longer than dogs or chickens), but there are some other interesting animals depicted as well, giving us an idea of what life with non-human companions was like 100 years ago.
Before Instagram, amateur photographers and hobbyists still entertained themselves by capturing their everyday lives in photographs. If you thought filling your camera roll with pet pics was a modern phenomenon, these photos prove otherwise. Many of these below involve cats (likely because they tend to hold still for longer than dogs or chickens), but there are some other interesting animals depicted as well, giving us an idea of what life with non-human companions was like 100 years ago.
As usual, Lewis Reed started at home with his own daughter, Mary Jane, who had a pet rabbit when she was about 12 years old. The cloth bag around her neck in the photo below right was a "bunny pouch" used for transporting the animal safely between house and garden. She also used to ride around with her pet rabbit in her bike basket.
She may have been trying to hold his ears still for the camera!
Cats
Cats
It's interesting to imagine how many pictures Lewis Reed took of animals, not knowing if any of them would turn out. Clearly he had many willing subjects to work with!
It's interesting to imagine how many pictures Lewis Reed took of animals, not knowing if any of them would turn out. Clearly he had many willing subjects to work with!
Above: the cat doesn't look particularly happy to be held like a doll-- apparently cats haven't changed much in 100 years...
At left, a young mother cat snuggles with her kitten. Lewis Reed couldn't resist the cuteness.
Here's a handsome boy! This is one photogenic cat (from two different angles, below).
Another feline subject used more than one-- this diminutive tuxedo cat--found indoors, and also out in the cornfield.
Dogs
Dogs
Man's best friend-- and also a good companion for young girls!
Man's best friend-- and also a good companion for young girls!
The terrier on the left looks like one pampered pooch; the hounds below are hunting dogs. Lower left, a young Mary Jane Reed poses with a young St. Bernard who's almost as tall as she is!
The terrier on the left looks like one pampered pooch; the hounds below are hunting dogs. Lower left, a young Mary Jane Reed poses with a young St. Bernard who's almost as tall as she is!
Domestic Animals
Domestic Animals
Montgomery County was a rural place in the early 1900s, especially around Darnestown where Lewis Reed lived. Most people had chickens, horses, and maybe even a cow, even if they weren't running a farm.
This young girl appears to have outgrown her pony-- perhaps these are photos to remember him by, before he is sold?
Farmer standing with his dairy cow
A woman feeding her backyard chickens
Unusual Shots
Unusual Shots
Left: In the early part of the 20th century, wild squirrels were frequently caught and kept as pets. Pet squirrels didn't come from pet shops; people caught them themselves. This albino squirrel was likely quite a prize catch for some lucky Montgomery County family!
Below: no, not a tarantula, just an ordinary spider...This photograph is incredibly unique, both for its subject matter and use of magnification that shows the spider in such detail.
In the early years of photography even slight movements caused blurring. If you've ever watched a chicken, you know they do not hold still more more than a second or two. Can you imagine Lewis Reed sitting in the backyard for hours with his lens pointed at whichever chicken was closest to him in an effort to get the perfect shot? It’s pretty amazing the texture and detail he captured in this photo.
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