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Some called it a craze. To others it was a cult. Join prize-winning historian Kathryn Hughes to discover how Britain fell in love with cats and ushered in a new era.
‘He invented a whole cat world’ declared H. G. Wells of Louis Wain, the Edwardian artist whose anthropomorphic kittens made him a household name.
His drawings were irresistible but Catland was more than the creation of one eccentric imagination. It was an attitude – a way of being in society while discreetly refusing to follow its rules. As cat capitalism boomed in the spectacular Edwardian age, prized animals changed hands for hundreds of pounds and a new industry sprung up to cater for their every need.
Cats were no longer basement-dwelling pest-controllers, but stylish cultural subversives, more likely to flaunt a magnificent ruff and a pedigree from Persia. Wherever you found old conventions breaking down, there was a cat at the centre of the storm. Whether they were flying aeroplanes, sipping champagne or arguing about politics, Wain’s feline cast offered a sly take on the restless and risky culture of the post-Victorian world.
No-one experienced these uncertainties more acutely than Wain himself, confined to a mental asylum while creating his most iconic work. Catland is a fascinating and fabulous unravelling of our obsession with cats, and the man dedicated to chronicling them.
We offer free standard UK delivery on all orders over £50.
Orders up to £30 are charged a flat fee of £4.95 within the UK.
Orders between £30.01 and £50 are charged a flat fee of £6.95 within the UK.
Usual UK delivery timescale (excluding custom prints) is between 5 and 7 working days from the date of dispatch.
Due to the EU Regulation 2023/988 (GPSR) selected items are not available for delivery to Northern Ireland.
Delivery Worldwide
Due to the EU Regulation 2023/988 (GPSR) we are currently unable to accept any orders for delivery to EU member countries and Switzerland.
We can deliver to other selected countries worldwide.
Returns & refunds
If you are not completely satisfied with your item you may return it within 28 days for a refund.
Binding: Paperback
Author: Kathryn Hughes
Pagination: 416p
SKU: 9780008365141
Some called it a craze. To others it was a cult. Join prize-winning historian Kathryn Hughes to discover how Britain fell in love with cats and ushered in a new era.
‘He invented a whole cat world’ declared H. G. Wells of Louis Wain, the Edwardian artist whose anthropomorphic kittens made him a household name.
His drawings were irresistible but Catland was more than the creation of one eccentric imagination. It was an attitude – a way of being in society while discreetly refusing to follow its rules. As cat capitalism boomed in the spectacular Edwardian age, prized animals changed hands for hundreds of pounds and a new industry sprung up to cater for their every need.
Cats were no longer basement-dwelling pest-controllers, but stylish cultural subversives, more likely to flaunt a magnificent ruff and a pedigree from Persia. Wherever you found old conventions breaking down, there was a cat at the centre of the storm. Whether they were flying aeroplanes, sipping champagne or arguing about politics, Wain’s feline cast offered a sly take on the restless and risky culture of the post-Victorian world.
No-one experienced these uncertainties more acutely than Wain himself, confined to a mental asylum while creating his most iconic work. Catland is a fascinating and fabulous unravelling of our obsession with cats, and the man dedicated to chronicling them.
We offer free standard UK delivery on all orders over £50.
Orders up to £30 are charged a flat fee of £4.95 within the UK.
Orders between £30.01 and £50 are charged a flat fee of £6.95 within the UK.
Usual UK delivery timescale (excluding custom prints) is between 5 and 7 working days from the date of dispatch.
Due to the EU Regulation 2023/988 (GPSR) selected items are not available for delivery to Northern Ireland.
Delivery Worldwide
Due to the EU Regulation 2023/988 (GPSR) we are currently unable to accept any orders for delivery to EU member countries and Switzerland.
We can deliver to other selected countries worldwide.
Returns & refunds
If you are not completely satisfied with your item you may return it within 28 days for a refund.
