Alice White
#4 It was only in the second half of the 19th century that the British realized that their pets had many unique and attractive features that needed to be consolidated and developed.
In the Victorian era, even a representative of high society became not ashamed to be the owner of a cat. The popularity of the mustachioed was greatly facilitated by the original and witty drawings of the famous English artist Louis Wayne. A talented graphic artist has created a whole universe in which anthropomorphic cats play golf and bridge, go on picnics, read newspapers, arrange Christmas parties, go sledding, play music, relax on the beach ... In addition, at the dawn of photography, enthusiasts of the new art understood how beautiful fluffy handsome men look in the frame. In a word, the ice was broken.
#5 On July 13, 1871, the world’s first professionally organized cat show was held in London with great success.
Garrison Weir, with the support of the then-manager of Crystal Palace, invited 170 attendees and their owners to the former pavilion of the World's Fair. He also developed the competition regulations, the scoring system, and the determination of the winners in various categories. Visitors were surprised to find that well-groomed and well-fed cats not only look adorable but also behave like real aristocrats. The next morning, the front pages of respected metropolitan newspapers adorned portraits of award winners - including the 14-year-old blue-tabby Old Lady. By the way, it was the blue color in the last century that was considered the only correct one for the British shorthair.
#6 After the exhibition, the once unnoticed street animals became popular.
The breed standard, amateur clubs, and the first kennels appeared. However, in the last decade of the 19th century, Great Britain was overwhelmed by the pan-European fashion for Persian cats. On this wave during the First World War, breeders introduced the British Longhair. Experts still cannot say with certainty whether a fixed spontaneous mutation took place or whether breeders simply used “foreign” genes inbreeding.
