Before Internet Cats: Feline Finds from the Archives of American Art

Cat Correspondence

Dear Jay,
People are my serious photography; cats are my relaxation.

—Mark Green to Jay DeFeo, 1974

Before social media, we shared the details of our lives through snail mail. Personal correspondence helped bridge the distance between two people. The Archives holds millions of letters that contain facts and anecdotes about the American art world, from seemingly mundane happenings to historical events. These imaginative letters, postcards, and greeting cards allowed artists to celebrate the quirky personalities of their cats, illuminating the relationship between sender and recipient.