| Louis William Wain was born in the London district of | | | | sent most of them to America. Alas, while crossing |
| Clerkenwell in London on 5th. August 1860. In the | | | | the Atlantic, the ship capsized and all Louis Wain |
| period from 1880's up to the start of the first world | | | | ceramics went to the bottom of the sea. Due to this |
| war he ruled supreme in cat and animal humour | | | | misfortune Louis Wain went bankrupt and decided on |
| especially the 'Louis Wain Cat' which was recognised | | | | a temporary move to the United States. He |
| worldwide. The Louis Wain cats appeared in Art | | | | produced strip cartoons for the New York American |
| Prints, Comics, Newspapers, Books, Magazines, Post | | | | ( 1907-1910 ) and many other American comics, |
| Cards and Annuals. The Wain cats are to be found in | | | | newspapers and magazines. |
| every human activity - from playing golf and other | | | | After the death of his mother, In 1910, he returned |
| sports, digging up roads, Playing music. | | | | to England and over the next few years he |
| In his early years he was a sickly child and often | | | | continued to produce books and supply pictures to |
| skipped school. He attended his early schooling at | | | | various comics, newspapers and magazines. |
| The Orchard Street Foundation school in Hackney | | | | He continued drawing fanciful cats for various |
| and at The Saint Joseph's Academy, Kennington. | | | | newspapers and comics near the end of the first |
| Wain was born with a Cleft Lip and the doctor gave | | | | world war. During this time in 1917 he was thinking of |
| his parents the orders that he should not be sent to | | | | experimenting in animation and the film was to be |
| school or taught until he was ten years old. As a | | | | called 'Pussyfoot'. Alas, he decided not to persue this |
| teenage youth, he was often truant from school, and | | | | project and so the world lost the chance of a genius |
| spent much of his childhood wandering around | | | | of comic cat art moving into animation. This year was |
| London. Following this period, Louis studied at the | | | | a turning point in the history of Louis Wain's cats. His |
| West London School of Art and eventually became a | | | | sister Caroline died and he fell off an Omnibus and hit |
| teacher for a short period. At the age of 20, Wain | | | | his head. |
| was left to support his mother and sisters after his | | | | After he recovered from these set backs his cats |
| father's death. | | | | became more frenzied, surreal, jagged and pointy. |
| With reference to his family, Louis Wain's father had | | | | During 1917 he was also diagnosed as a schizophrenic |
| moved to London from Leek in Staffordshire where | | | | which alas, stayed with him for the rest of his life. |
| he met Julie Felice Boiteux (Anglo-French) who | | | | During the onset of his disease at 57, Wain continued |
| attended the same Roman Catholic church. They | | | | to Paint, Draw and Sketch cats. |
| married in 1859. He had 5 younger sisters (two of | | | | In 1924 due to the economic climate and the slow |
| whom became competent artists) and his father | | | | recovery of GB after WW1 Louis Wain Art became |
| worked as a textile salesman and his mother | | | | less popular and he fell into poverty when his mental |
| designed Church fabrics and carpets. | | | | health deteriorated and finally his family had him |
| At the age of 17 he attempted to become a | | | | certified Insane and he was committed to a pauper |
| musician though no evidence of any success exists | | | | ward at Springfield Hospital ( Previously Surrey |
| today. Louis Wain then decided to study and trained | | | | County Asylum ) at Tooting, London on June 16th |
| at The West London School of Art ( 1877- 1882 ) | | | | 1924. During 1925 he was discovered by a visitor to |
| and remained as an assistant teacher until he left in | | | | the hospital painting his funny cat pictures. The visitor |
| 1882. | | | | exclaimed that the artist pictures reminded him of |
| After his Father - William Wain's death in 1880 he had | | | | Louis Wain's famous cats. Imagine his surprise when |
| to support his mother - Julie Wain and five younger | | | | the Artist turned to the visitor and exclaimed he was |
| sisters. | | | | indeed Louis Wain. After the visitor told the world |
| To help to support his family he became a freelance | | | | of Louis Wain's hospitalization, his admirers started a |
| illustrator ( initially influenced by Caldecott and May ). | | | | campaign which included prime minister Ramsey |
| He began to make his name with Dog and Animal | | | | Macdonald, HG Wells and King George who helped |
| drawings at various Dog and Country Shows including | | | | set up a foundation which was set up to enable Wain |
| the early British National Dog show at Crystal palace | | | | to spend the last few years of his life in comfort in |
| in 1882 ( which later became known as Crufts ). | | | | private asylums including Bethlehem Hospital in a |
| In 1884 Louis Wain married Emily Richardson ( His | | | | private room where his treatment continued. H. G. |
| youngest sister's governess ). Shortly after he | | | | Wells best portrays Louis Wain when he said in a |
| married her she contracted Breast cancer. He brought | | | | 1925 broadcast, in an attempt to raise money for the |
| Emily a Kitten which they called Peter and to | | | | impoverished artist, that three generations had been |
| entertain her he started drawing Peter in humorous | | | | brought up on Louis Wain's cats and few nurseries |
| situations and poses. | | | | were without his pictures. He made the cat his own. |
| She wanted him to show his cat drawings to some | | | | He invented a cat style, a cat society, a whole cat |
| editors to which some comments were - | | | | world. English cats that do not look and live like Louis |
| ‘whoever would want to see a picture of a cat.' | | | | Wain cats are ashamed of themselves. |
| The break he had been waiting for came in 1886 | | | | Some time in the late 1920's he was sent to Saint |
| when he drew several kitten illustrations for a | | | | James Fields, Southwark where he continued to |
| children's book. After this, Sir William Ingram, | | | | paint and draw his cats. |
| Proprietor of the Illustrated London News, | | | | In 1930 he was transferred to Napsbury Hospital near |
| commissioned a narrative drawing of a ‘Kitten's | | | | Saint Albans where he continued to paint and sketch |
| Christmas Party'. It contained 200 cats, took 11 days | | | | until the end of his days. Exhibitions of his work were |
| to complete and according to Wain brought him | | | | held in London in 1931 and 1937. On 4th. July Louis |
| ‘overnight fame.' With the success of his funny | | | | Wain died at Napsbury hospital. He is buried at Saint |
| cat pictures they started to make his reputation here | | | | Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Harrow Road, London |
| in Britain and in America where his humorous cat | | | | NW10 ( next to Kensal Green Cemetery, London ) |
| pictures were seen in Comics, newspapers and | | | | next to the same burial plots as his 5 sisters and |
| magazines. These pictures were so successful that | | | | parents. |
| his life would never be the same again. Alas, this was | | | | He is probably best remembered through a quote |
| tinged with sadness as his wife died shortly | | | | from H.G. Wells "He has made the cat his own. He |
| afterwards, but knowing that Louis Wain had | | | | invented a cat style, a cat society, a whole cat |
| become a great success. | | | | world. English cats that do not look and live like Louis |
| In the period from 1880's up to the start of the first | | | | Wain cats are ashamed of themselves." |
| world war he ruled supreme in cat and animal humour | | | | Louis often gave lectures on the welfare of cats and |
| especially the 'Louis Wain Cat' which was recognised | | | | encouraged people to take in stray cats, not just |
| worldwide. The Louis Wain cats appeared in Art | | | | purebred cats. He was elected as President and |
| Prints, Comics, Newspapers, Books, Magazines, Post | | | | Chairman of the National Cat Club, which he served |
| Cards and Annuals. The Wain cats are to be found in | | | | for many years, and the logo he designed for the |
| every human activity - from playing golf and other | | | | National Cat Club is still used to this very day. He was |
| sports, digging up roads, Playing music, Ascot | | | | also involved in many other animal (mainly cat) |
| fashions, Driving cats plus lots more. | | | | charities and groups. |
| In 1886 he joined the staff of The Illustrated London | | | | I am a collector and seller of Louis Wain 1860-1939 |
| News. He was the first illustrator to work consistently | | | | Funny Cats, Birds, Pigs, Owls and Dogs on Art prints, |
| within the convention of depicting clothed and | | | | so please feel free to visit my Louis Wain website |
| standing animals. | | | | pages listed below. |
| He contributed to "Comical Customers at our Fine | | | | My family tree has been traced back to the early |
| New Store of Comical Rhymes and Pictures" in 1896 | | | | Kings of England from the 7th Century AD. I am also |
| and to "Jingles. Jokes and Funny Folks" in 1898. 1902 | | | | a direct descendent of Sir Christopher Wren which |
| saw the word "Catland" commonly associated with | | | | has given me an interest in English History which is |
| Wain's illustrations, and the publication of "Pa Cats, Ma | | | | great fun to research. |
| Cats and their Kittens." His anthropomorphic vision of | | | | I have recently decided to write articles on my |
| the world soon brought him fame and as a result he | | | | favourite subjects: English Sports, English History, |
| was elected President of the British National Cat Club | | | | English Icons, English Discoveries and English |
| in 1898 and 1911. | | | | Inventions. At present I have written over 100 |
| In 1904 Louis Wain wrote a book entitled 'In Animal | | | | articles which I call "An Englishman's Favourite Bits Of |
| land with Louis Wain' which was a great success. | | | | England" in various Volumes. Please visit my fun Blogs |
| During 1907 he invested all his savings into various | | | | page where I have listed all my articles to date. |
| Ceramic's with pictures based on his funny cats and | | | | Copyright © 2010 Paul Hussey. All Rights Reserved. |