This small collection of photographs is an homage to an inspired cartoon that was published in the August 19, 2024, issue of The New Yorker. It was drawn by a biology professor at California Polytechnic State University named Ed Himelblau and titled simply “Cat With Nine Still Lives.” It is a single panel divided into nine equal parts telling the story of a goofy black cat clawing its way up onto a table and destroying a classic still-life arrangement in the process. The joke lurks in the wordplay of the title—the title I have “borrowed” here.
The cat in the still lives below is named “Shambles.” He is a mystifying memento from a long-ago trip to England. Carved of maple by a quasi-anonymous woodworker (J.S.W.) in 1988, he is named for the famous street in York where we found him—The Shambles. A medieval butchers’ row of half-timbered homes and businesses in the 14th Century, this narrow winding passage was transformed in the mid-1950s into an historic preservation site and tourist destination.
Cat with box & oil can, 2024
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Cat on box, 2024
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Cat with bags, 2024
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Cat with mug, candle, & duck, 2024
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Cat with clock, 2024
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Cat with pottery, 2024
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Cat with books, 2024
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Cat in dish, 2024
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Cat with plant, 2024
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