Are Cat Lovers Creative People?
Poster by Ruth aka Kattaddorra
What makes me ask this question is that I have noticed many of the people who come to PoC have creative and artistic natures.
For example take our worthy leader Michael. He created this wonderful web site, he writes deep and imaginative articles and poetry and he dabbles in photography. These are all the pursuits of a man with an artistic nature.
Many PoC regulars write beautifully also, interesting articles, thoughtful comments, some write poetry, share photographs they’ve taken and on another article it seems that we have a few cooks amongst us too telling us of the wonderful dishes they create.
Not least we have our singer/songwriter/musician, more creative pursuits. I love writing, designing and singing as does my sister Barbara also, we both inherited these traits from our late mother, as well as our passionate love of cats.
Also we enjoy gardening, do we have any more gardeners here? That is surely creative, making a haven of plants and flowers for ourselves and for our cats and wild birds to enjoy also. I wonder what other creative pastimes PoC people have too? There are so many!
At one time before the internet came into my life I used to make plaster of Paris figures and paint them and sell them for charities, I loved doing that, but then began writing short stories and poems. Sometimes our tastes change slightly but never from creative pastimes.
Maybe because cats are so peaceful to live with most of the time, we can put our leisure time to creating something. I think cats are inspiring too, just looking at a cat fills me with awe at the wonder of them. Walter and Jozef are fast asleep, one on the couch, one in the armchair, just glancing at them both makes me feel as content as they are.
We cat lovers should strive to find peace like cats can in this busy noisy world. Next door’s dog constantly barking can irritate us a lot but our cats sleep on, they have inner peace and quiet.
I think also that we cat lovers, just like the cats we love, are people with strong views, not ‘yes men’ and can have discussions and see another person’s point of view but not be swayed by those who say that we are wrong.
Cats can teach us such a lot if we just watch, listen and learn!
Who does not love animals if they are cool? Specially cats and dogs. I prefer cats as they are cleaner than dogs.
I love animals even when they are not “cool”. I love all animals and particularly cats.
Sadly some people don’t love them Sarah, they hate and abuse them, I really don’t know how they can do that and call themselves human beings 🙁
So much talent in the POC community. I spent most of my creative years in business. The catering business. I guess you could say my art was in food display and customer service. I had over 100 employees and we were the best of the best. The stress made me old too early, but it was exciting for the fifteen years I had the business. I went on to food service consulting. Now in my retirement, I am dabbling in oil painting. I was going to post a picture of a painting I did of Bigfoot four years ago, but after seeing all the ‘real’ talent here…I think I’ll skip it. I am working toward a more painterly approach to painting. Somewhere in the deep history of POC there was an article on drawing a cat using a grid. Well, that is how I painted Bigfoot. Now, I let my paintbrush dance and loosen up.
Good to know bits and pieces of everyone.
What impresses me most about much of the POC community, is all the writing talent. I love a well put together sentence. I didn’t learn to write when I was supposed to. (High school?). But, I sure recognize good writing when I read it.
Don’t be silly, DW, post your painting! I don’t have real talent as a writer, composer, musician or singer, but I do all those things and share them anyway. If everyone who wasn’t the greatest talent hid their light there would be very little beauty in the world. The value of art is what you express with it, what you have to say. It’s like Charles Ives says: “Don’t listen to the notes too much or you might miss the music.” He saw and heard the real beauty of amateurs singing because they lovrd what they were doing. The world needs super talented people, no doubt, but it needs amateurs too or there would be very little art or music being made. I think your PoC family would love to see your painting.
Yes Dorothy please post your painting, I’m sure we will love it 🙂
Please post your at.
I love that we have so many different talents here.
It would be awesome to have them all in one single person.
I say post it ….. 🙂 We’ll critique it – just joking. There is a page on drawing cats. It is a series of videos:
https://pictures-of-cats.org/how-to-draw-a-cat.html
Thanks to cats all “P.O.C” writers have opened up on their inherent talents and professions. A very elite artistic group of cat owners and aficionado’s.I am surprised at the multi-faceted talents of “P.O.C” owner/editor Mr Michael.Broad and “P.O.C’s” long-time blogger Marc.As for me, a former “Marine Engineer” who just loved being lost in the wide oceans for 23 years and now travelling on my own, exploring various city’s and blogging about them.I like the free-thinking attitude of cats and all writers, irrespective of their fan base or royalty income love a “free-Thinking” atmosphere.As a “All-Rounder” i love sports and swim 500 meters every morning at the “M.G.M.O” pool near my residence in Mumbai. Cycling and motorcycling are my passions, the cycle used for short traveling distances and the motorcycle for long distances.Just “Google” my name and read my blogs, some controversial, the “Cat free thinker” habit.Thanks Ruth Aka Kattaddorra for the excellent humorous illustrative article that has exposed our inherent talents and attitude towards living.My cats are a part of my family.
beautiful kitties
What a lovely photo, such beautiful cats.
I’ll look up your blogs later Rudolph, they sound very interesting 🙂
Are they family in the painting and the small photo Rudolph?
I think I’ve seen your ‘Last Supper’ before in a photo you’ve posted, I do love that.
Yes Ruth and thanks for the compliments.The portrait is the photo of my late parents along with my prize winning dachshund “Lucky”.This photo was taken in the late 1980’s at home in Mumbai. The “Last Supper” is from Barcelona. My house has a collection from most corners of our planet as our family was “Sea-faring” by profession.
Your house must be very interesting, I could browse around all day looking at your beautiful pictures and your collections 🙂 but most of all your cats of course
Rudolph, you are all over the internet! When I search for your name the whole of the first page of Google is about you with photos 🙂
This is just one of your pages:
You photo is what I call “exotic”. The furniture, the feel of it and your glorious Persian cats. Great photo.
Very right Michael, the Internet, travelling and blogging keeps me busy as my office is my home post retirement as a “Marine Engineer” from the “Merchant Navy”.
So beautiful.
Here is Monty with his tail making a little question mark as if to ask, “What is up with all this cold weather?”
My photo didn’t upload– must have been too big a file, but I sent it to Michael via e-mail.
Here is your photo Ruth:
This is a fine photograph. The tail creates a strong focal point.
Thanks, Michael! Monty has the most expressive tail of any cat I have ever known. I just love it.
I think that Ruth’s photo is one that is truly artistic. It sets a very special tone and message.
I love that photo!
Oh bbrrrr this reminds me how lucky we have been so far this winter, no snow here…yet ….
two winters ago, lots of snow bbbrrrrrrr
Jozef has Monty’s expression when there is snow and he isn’t happy about it.
Lovely photo with the snow in the background really shows his coat off 🙂
I think maybe there is a connection between the gentle temperament of the genuine cat lover ( gentle that is until riled by the abuse of cats)and the pleasure that we get from creativity, be it biking, gardening, playing musical instruments, baking, cooking, photography, genealogy, book writing, book binding or even book making (if you fancy a gamble), maybe observing how cats take time to observe their surroundings and take pleasure in just “being” makes us more aware of our spiritual side than those who just switch the TV on when they get up and put it off just before bed. Mind you I have to say you’re a talented lot of POCers! I wish I could ride a bike, only ever had a tricycle when I was little and never progressed to a proper bike, and I wish I could play a musical instrument but only had one year at the violin in secondary school and then the lessons stopped. Ah well 🙁 maybe next time round.
I love our Jozef’s honest gaze on this one
And the second one…
A work of art, both the cat and photograph.
Yes your boyz are so handsome Jo, I LOVE both those photos.
Amazing. If I squint my eyes some, they could be porcelain statues.
Beautiful…..so regal
What amazing photos. I love them)
Here are two of my favorite photos of the boys:)
What a beautiful cat and what a beautiful view out that window.
I love winter and cold weather, but even I have just about had it. Monty went out yesterday, walked five steps from the door, turned around and walked right back in.
Beautiful cats Jo! Excellent photos of them. Those pink ears match the landscape out the window.
Thanks DW:) Appreciate that and Sir Hubble Pinkerton and Dr. Hush Puppy are blushing:)
We changed Trouble’s name to Sir Hubble Pinkerton since we didn’t want him to develop an inferiority complex (trouble) and his gorgeous big pink ears and nose leather and paw pads just begged for the sir name- Pinkerton. LOL
Jozef reflects on what he has read so far 😉
Super cat portrait.
So Walter has the black nose and Jozef has the pink nose. Now I can tell them apart!
They are very different when you see them together
I love those boys.
Walter can look so serious and Jozef sort of a clown.
Short on time today so signing off.
Wish I didn’t have to, but it’s raining and very cold.
Have work to do.
I’m back briefly , because I forgot something.
Lovely boys they really do look deep in reverie
Walter ponders over a drawing
Ruth-Many bloggers tell me that their cats are their muse (mews)-. How can anyone interact with a kitty and not be impacted by their beauty.
Creativity doesn’t necessarily translate into writing, however. Feline photography is a true art form… one that is quite difficult at times… but my cats always inspire me to grab my camera several times a day to try to capture their beauty and grace.
I think cats open us up to a wide variety of creative energy.
GREAT topic, by the way. Thanks for your post.
Thank you Jo, yes there are many creative pursuits, we too have our camera handy at all timers to capture the wonder of our boyz, we must have thousands of cat photos now lol
This one of my best Charlie portraits:
Charlie is so beautiful!
hes geogerous just love a black cat
That photo is amazing, Charlie is such a handsome boy 🙂 and you caught his character perfectly.
Film star good looks there. It’s all in the camera work and lighting 😉
Maybe but your model is PURRfection! 😉
The highlight on the right side of his face – the white fur there – is it really lighting? Very nice regardless how you got it. I’m guessing it’s real but I could be wrong.
Yes, Marc, it was a ray of sunlight. And you can see his rusty coat shown up by the same light. Matinée idol looks! 😉
Stunning photo! Not easy to capture detailed beauty in a photo of a black cat. But you do. And often.
Spectacular. He could be on magazine covers.
He’s wonderful I adore Black cats we have had 3 previously that have passed and 2 now as well. I love his sleek coat with his Auburn bit.
I don’t think there is a connection between living with cats and creativity in terms of the one causing another. I’m creative because of the types of toys I played with as a child and perhaps a genetic predisposition, not because I grew up living with cats. But I think creative people choose to live with cats and connect with them better. Less creative people may live with a companion animal, but tend to see him as more part of the furniture and kind of ignore him. More creative people have empathy for the animal, are able to “get inside his head” and provide a far better life for their feline or canine friend. This has just been my observation. Creative people appreciate their animals more.
If I’m right this means that fostering creativity in children is important because it will make them better caretakers for animals and for the planet. Maybe less creative people see pollution and threats to the environment differently than more creative people. I remember being seven years old and seeing a picture of big city traffic, all those big old 1970’s cars lined up on a city freeway as far as the eye could see, and I thought, “This can’t be good.” The picture bothered me because then I knew that it was more than just people in my small town driving cars. There were too many cars. I knew there had to be. And considering what pollution control was like on vehicles prior to 1975, I was right. The trees by the interstate were all dead back then. But I think only a creative person looks at the world and questions it, instead of just accepting it.
It takes a creative person to see the truth of declawing– that vets are selling a terrible lie.
I agree Ruth – I was the same. I too remember the pollution and amount of cars. I specifically can picture exactly what you are talking about – those blackened trees on the side of the motorways and main roads just withering. So awfully sad – and for a small child it can be very ugly indeed. It always hurt my feelings as a kid to see those things. It looks almost painful for the plants growing in places like that.
We didn’t travel much, so I don’t remember noticing the dead trees by the interstate. But my aunts were in college at that time in Illinois, so they drove the interstate a lot. They told me about it recently and remarked that today, despite there being more cars than ever, the trees by the interstate look healthy today. So cars are not only more fuel efficient, but they don’t pollute as much today.
This is true except for SUVs. That’s why there’s a real hate of SUVs. They are classed as ‘utility’ vehicles and so don’t have the same restrictions as regular cars. I heard they give off over 10 times more pollution than a car. This was a few years ago. Maybe they changed the law. The whole 0% financing thing is them trying to flog as many of them off before the pollution laws change. They are truly shameless scum of the earth. They will practically shove those SUVs down your throat for nothing – disgusting.
The new SUV’s get a lot better mileage and have the same pollution control as any other vehicles. The main problem with them is the higher center of gravity combined with idiots, so they are involved in a lot more roll over accidents. But the latest ones I saw advertised were getting like 38 mpg. The public won’t put up with high polluting, low mileage vehicles anymore. But the safety is a big issue. My husband would have no problem driving an SUV, but he drives a tractor trailer for work so he’s used to the high center of gravity. Most drivers aren’t. Years ago there was a car considered “unsafe at any speed” but I think SUV’s are more fitting of that warning.
Not bad but in Europe if you have a proper eco-friendly car you’ll get 65mph and better. Mine does 67 mph (max) and I have had it for 3 years and filled it up 3 times! Diesel.
Diesels get incredible mileage, but they don’t like to start in sub zero temps.
Gasoline prices are quite high there, right?
Today, the average price here is $3.36/gallon.
You’ll have to do the conversion, Michael.
What do you mean by 65 mph? That’s a speed here (65 miles per hour).
How does that convert to price?
I’m sure we drive much more here.
It’s commom for people to commute 25-30 miles one way to work each day.
Gasoline prices should go higher and higher. Also – in Switzerland diesel costs a little more than petrol because it’s much more environmentally destructive. I would like to see petrol and diesel prices go so high that people go back to bicycles. If people rode bicycles the world would not be near its end.
But it seems that cat lovers are creative people is what I mean, not that living with cats causes creativity, just that loving cats and being creative go together
I thought perhaps a child growing up with cats would be more creative, but then I realized it depends on the parents, and how the parents interact with the cat. A child can learn just as easily to treat pets as part of the furniture as they can learn empathy. Cats benefit from creative people caring for them. But computer games and tv are the enemies of stimulating creativity in children. We need to really work at helping children use their imaginations and creativity, because doing so makes them better people, not just more productive, but better.
I longed for a cat all my childhood but our late dad hated them, he was a ‘dog man’ but our late mother loved cats and told us stories of the cats she had at home before she married. She was suddenly widowed at only 55 years old and being able to have cats around her again saved her sanity.
Yes I agree we need to help children to use their imagination, it worries me that too many watch violent videos and play violent computer games.
One of the Christmas gifts we gave that little disturbed boy next door was a colouring book and crayons and we are overjoyed he is now using it 🙂
What you have done for that little boy next door to you is just wonderful! He will remember it all his life, I’m sure.
As kids, my sister and I played mostly with our dolls, our building blocks, and these little plastic people from Fisher Price, which they don’t make anymore. They were just a cylinder of plastic with a head on top– so lots was left to the imagination. But they were just the size to block a kid’s wind pipe so they quit making them. We played with them well into our teens, because we told stories about them. All of them had names, and not the ones suggested on the box. We had three that were dogs and they were part of the story too– they had to fight for equal rights because they were dogs and this one girl Annie was very rude to them and looked down on them because they were dogs. The father dog was Ralph and he rode the little plastic motorcycle. His wife was Lydia and their son was Snitchel. (Named for my aunt’s wiener dog “Schnitzel” but we couldn’t say that when we were little.) The dog family were people too, in every way, except that some of the characters in our story didn’t want to accept dogs as equals. My sister started writing some of our stories down. They were very intricate and sometimes like a soap opera. Lots of love triangles. And we often liked to have one child be very naughty, but get his or hers at the end of the story.
When we weren’t telling stories with our little plastic people, we were playing school with our dolls. We just hated the idea that we might have stupid dolls, I guess, because we were always “teaching” them how to read. I think that’s where I first got practice at being a teacher. By the time I taught my first piano lesson it was easy. It’s like I’d been practicing for it for years.
I just think kids today have too much entertainment that is so passive and sometimes filled with violence and evil things. If they do play traditional games adults are way too involved. Kids never learn how to deal with conflict, because the adults always resolve it.
Writing that just made me realize that some of my students who are choreographing a dance to go with their song for an upcoming school program need to be made to work out their creative differences on their own, even if that means there will be a lot of yelling for awhile. So long as it doesn’t come to blows. I’m not going to step in and say, “Do it this way.” I think they should work it out, just like kids used to do on the playground when they thought one kid was breaking the rules, or when they wanted to make up their own rules to a new game. Sometimes adults need to back off and let the kids work it out. Good experience for life.
Yes what we’ve done lol I’ve landed us with providing a Freddo every school day for him lol
Marion CP has given us a huge box of toys for ‘Freddo duty’ now but I also like to make educational ones for him too for some days.
I had no idea that you didn’t have cats in your childhood. I’m so sorry about that. You missed so many of my experiences, ie. ticks on your scalp, ringworm, cat bite fever… LOL!!! I met a woman last year that said she had never had any pet her entire life. I didn’t know what to say. That’s like a foreign language to me.
lol Dee, ticks, ringworm, cat bite fever, I never got any of those in all my life lol
Our late dad was a dog lover, he bred German Shepherds and Babz and I loved the puppies of course and cried when he sold them. He also bred budgies and canaries.
I rescued a blue merle rough collie puppy from the first vets I worked for when I was 18, he was only tiny and had been abused, a horrible woman dragged him in to be PTS. Our dad wasn’t very suited when I arrived home with him as I was always taking animals home lol and rehoming them, but we kept Shep because he fell in love with him.
But I longed for a cat and they were well worth waiting for, I passionately love ours and every other cat in the world too.
i guess its true as i love taking photos and scrapbooking and im a deep thinker. Deep love for kitties
So you are creative too Kylee and a deep thinker with a deep love for cats, I’m so glad you came to PoC 🙂
Yep i am. Never used to be like that but i grew to love it which i feel has helped me with my own depression/anxiety issues ive had over the last 10 years. It helps me be creative. Ive always loved cats. Check this pic out of me when i was younger i had a cat
i was proboly about under 5 put i loved cats from an really early age.
That photo is so lovely Kylee, your little kitten looks like our Jozef when he was tiny 🙂
What did you call him/her? Can you remember?
Maybe you were born loving cats like I was.
i cant remember the name but i know i had another one called fluff and had another one called cassyioba off the star wars program with the princess cant remember it. The fluff one apparently i wasnt that nice and used to throw the cat by the tail, the cat didnt seem to mind but i feel bad about it now though. I never realised how much i loved cats until a few years ago i just love this commmunity so much it gives me such joy and happiness.
Don’t feel bad, you were too young to know how to treat cats Kylee, little children have to be taught to be kind and gentle. You couldn’t have been that rough if the cat didn’t seem to mind, he’d have avoided you if you hurt him.
Yes PoC gives me joy and happiness too, I feel like I’ve come ‘home’
me to its great to be in a great place.
Kylee, this is a really cute photo showing your early liking of cats.
Kylee what a wonderful photo 🙂 You are lucky you grew up with cats. I went to boarding school so I never had the chance til much later 🙁
That picture is so adorable, Kylee.
You look so happy. You must have had a nice childhood and, having cats made it even better, I’ll bet.
yea it wasnt too bad but had its moments. i always loved cats especially the soft touch. That photo was taken in late 1978. Mum just found it recently and just amazed how ive always loved cats.
Me too! Welcome, Kylee!
Hey Kylee – scrap books are great aren’t they.. I used to keep scrapbooks when I was travelling alot and I really love looking back over them. Of course now that digital cameras are the thing one can take so many more pics so easily. I wish I had that back then!
“Deep love for kitties” – I hear ya 🙂
I hope you are managing ok with Cassy’s brothers. I hope they are coping with the loss of Cassy.
i think the boys are missing cassy as things are very quiet around here. Though i did get a dead bird the other day i think from ozzy so i guess he was telling us how much he loves us.
You are one of us. We sort of knew that 😉
yea i always love this site you guys are awesume
kylee, I know a few people who scrapbook and do it well. It really is an art and takes patience and thought; I have the thought but not the patience unfortunately.
I’m just a doer and a mover.
Yea i do digital scrap-booking where i use a scrap-booking program where i can buy kits i.e craftartist. Then i can print the pages out or save photos. Its something ive just got into in i find it gives me an inner piece and where i can take photos of my beloved cats. Another thing i like is taking photos of cat in the garden.
Kylee you should share some more photos of your cats with us, I think we all love seeing each other’s cats, past and present.
I am technically speaking an artist, trained as a screenprinter and etching Intaglio printer – some bookmaking – I could make a book from scratch – I could make the paper even and then print the whole book and bind it. It’s what I specialized in – printmaking – but I worked for years in photography before that both as an assistant and then as a freelance nature photographer. After starting a screen printing business in Canada I came here and now I’m working on the creative side of making a magazine. But I love bicycles and making music. I can’t do my printmaking right now because I can’t live off of it – plus I’d need to set up a whole studio here – maybe one day. I stopped photography proffessionally because I didn’t enjoy doing it as a job. I also played music live a certain amount but again I never really enjoyed having huge audiences – it makes me nervous. I can play much better with a group of friends. I believe everyone is creative – and those who don’t practice it are just either not in touch with it or too scared.
I agree – Ruth’s posters are great. Notice there’s always the black and white cat representing the boys in her posters. And in this particular one at the bottom is the black cat who looks like Ebony(?) that is often Ruth’s avatar 🙂
Thank you Marc, you are obviously a man of many creative talents.
My avatar is a cat like our Popsy who died at only five years old, but I do tend to use more black and black and white cats than other colours, it must be my sub conscious trying to get everyone to see that they are as beautiful as any other colour.
Yes good point Ruth – may as well advertize the beauty of black/white cats whenever possible. I always think of your boys when I see the one in the bottom right 🙂
I love that cat, he’s the one I used for ‘Sebastian’s Diary’
https://pictures-of-cats.org/sebastians-diary-part-1.html
and he became so real to me I was in tears as I wrote parts of his story
That’s really interesting, Marc. I didn’t know you had so many creative interests. Makes me wish all the more that we could get together in real life. I’d love to see your bicycle collection. You’d laugh if you saw my bicycle, but I just can’t part with it or bring myself to buy a new one. My parents bought it for me when I was eight– it was just huge for me then. It’s the first and only adult bicycle I ever owned. It still has the flowered basket from when I was a kid. Maybe creative people hold onto the past. It’s like riding that bike creates a bridge between who I am now and the kid I used to be and I am loathe to break that connection. My grandma was very interested in history– our family history, but other stories from the past. What came before mattered a lot to her. She wanted history to not be forgotten, but to continue to influence who we are today. I think a lot of creative people are into researching their family history and history in other ways– like through collecting antiques. You have to be creative to appreciate antiques. Otherwise it is just old stuff.
That’s great Ruth – you still have your old bike from when you were a kid. When I aquire a bike from the original owner it is all the more special to me. You really said it in a nutshell about the connection. The thing I love about riding these old bikes is that you are experiencing what a person experienced so many years ago. It’s like going back in time, especially if you are out riding somewhere not particularly modern or just in the nature. You really go me curious now what bike it is you have. I am going to hazard a guess that it is a Schwinn built bike. If you got it as a kid – erm, well I won’t ask when you were born – otherwise I could narrow it down. American bikes are my main field of expertise. My oldest bike was built in 1888 and is a Columbia Light Roadster. Not from the original owner obviously but from the second owner which with a bike that old is as good as it gets. I have ridden it! Back then the roads were so bad things needed alot of cushioning, seat springs and so on – I can tell you riding it is an experience and yes you surely go back in time by virtue of it being so different to ride a hard tire bike. Anything before this wasn’t quite a bike – and had a big front wheel. To me the interesting point is when geometry became likemodern day – same sized wheels etc. Yes – it is a creative release.
I like bicycles because they are good for the environment. They also gave women independence a long time ago – when before they couldn’t get around without a man. Mathematically the bicycle is the most efficient use of energy ever invented – ie, the energy that goes in versus what comes out was better than anything else known – and still is to this day. It seems it can’t be beaten. They are great things. They keep you in your local area and allow you to live sustainably. Over the years they have gone through so many incarnations and styles. In the 1930s bicycles were extremely popular and very stylish and deluxe – I especially like those bikes because they are works of art.
Here’s the old one I mentioned form 1888 – it has front suspension and a rear manually activated brake – it’s probably one of the earliest real proper bicycles that you could ride normally-ish. It has the first incarnation of a drive chain, the chain is about an inch thick! The only thing this bike doesn’t have is any gears – those came a bit later on. It came from a closing museum near Detroit. Riding it really connects you with the past 🙂
I wrote you a big long reply and it got lost due to some error. – that’s so irritating. Well – to be brief this time around – yes riding an old bike is like going back in time. My oldest bike is from the 1880s – I’ve ridden it!
Is your bike a Schwinn by any chance? It’s great you kept it. When I aquire a bike from it’s original owner that’s the best. It has a known history. They are like time machines 🙂
This is very frustrating as I wrote a huuuge long reply and I don’t even know where to begin to repeat it all. I’ll just have to let go of it I guess 🙁
I’m curious about your old bike now!
Here’s the bike – it’s one of the earliest bikes in the form we know today – it has a drive chain (an inch thick lol) and same sized wheels and even front suspension. It’s a Columbia Light Roadster Model 52. Riding it is a real experience from the past. It’s extremely hard to find something like this today. 🙂
My bike is not a name brand really. My parents got it at K-Mart in Baraboo. It has held up pretty well though. It’s a three speed. It never worked very well in second though, so perhaps it’s really a two speed. I wonder if I have a picture here of me with that bike when I was young. I know my parents have some, but mom’s been sending pictures to me so I may have it here. If I do I’ll scan it and post it, but don’t get your hopes up. I don’t think that’s one I have here and the bitter cold makes traveling up north not such a good idea these days.
This is a fabulous looking early bicycle. It is like a sculpture. The photo is almost black and white. Sorry to mention it again, the reason why some photos don’t upload is because they are more than 2m bytes. Ideally they should be reduced to around 50k (50,000) bytes. The max is 2m bytes.
I ride a cycle in Mumbai.How much would this antique cyle be worth in “Collector Terms” ?
Rudolph it didn’t upload – no photo – maybe it was over 2 mb? The bicycles in India will sell for alot over here. It’s a simple matter of knowing which market to buy in and which to sell in. I can imagine exactly the kind of bike you might have. Is it an ‘Atlas’? I would imagine it has rod brakes and truss rods on the front – perhaps a double top bar? You could sell the typical Indian built ‘gentleman’ style bike for about 500 dollars in the US or UK. If you were to import them (something I even did on a small scale once from Delhi) you would make a huge profit in Europe or the US/Canada.
Maybe you can upload the pic again? Should be under 2mb I think.
Hi Marc. I didn’t upload any photo of my cycle but just inquisitive to know the prices in Europe or America. I own a common Chinese make “Fomas cycle” with gears, the cheapest in the Indian market.Expensive European cycles like Trek are available in the Indian market as most people have taken up to cycling as a hobby sport, especially the monetary elite.I am astonished to read that the humble and common “Atlas Cycle” would cost approx 500 U.S $’s in America or U.K.
Check this site to understand “Indian cycling” as a hobby sport and the average costs of bikes in India. I am a member of this site and have contributed a lot of articles.You too can join and comment and post articles on cycling. Indians would be interested to understand and know about Swiss cycling.
Now that, is a work of art indeed! Gorgeous bike! I continue to be very impressed with you Marc. Bookmaking, including making the paper is an art of great devotion. Maybe when you retire you can take it up again.
Oh darn it again Ruth – now I see it did publish my first comment however without the picture – now I feel silly!
That’s ok, Marc, I enjoyed reading both your replies. My first bike, a kid’s bike, had hard tires and the brake was activated by pedaling backwards instead of having a hand brake.
Today mountain bikes are the thing, with really wide tires. Those are better on sand. My bike has narrow tires and I mostly ride it when we go up to camp, where it’s all sandy. I do a lot of off roading with my bike, and always did as a kid. I’m used to riding it on sand, so I rarely wipe out. I think that’s part of it. I’m so used to it. I fear getting used to something new, especially when I ride on gravel and sand. There’s a big hill at camp on a gravel road and that can be a little scary, but I feel safer on the bike I’m used to. I ride it down the grassy hill to the beach too. A few years ago I could ride all the way up the hill, all the way back to the dorms where we stay. I’m getting old and out of shape, so I can’t make that anymore. People tell me I should get a new bike, like a 21 speed, but until recently there weren’t any hills I couldn’t tackle with my bike, so what would be the point? Now that I’m getting older I see their point, but I still don’t want a new bike. If I had my way I’d still have my first car, but it’s better that I don’t, since it was old and got terrible mileage and polluted the environment. But at the time, I was satisfied with it. Some people don’t value anything unless it’s new. I guess I don’t value anything unless it has a history. New is boring.
Creativity is a part of you. You are impressively multi-talented. I am quite scientific too. I am a mix of the two, which is probably quite suitable for building a website.
I did not know you were a photographer. I was a professional photographer for about 7 years working in London. The best stuff I did was photographing celebrities to accompany an interview. They were published in women’s magazines.
This is a photo I took around 1970 when I was a student:
lol and I said you ‘dabbled’ in photography Michael, sorry about that, you are a blooming expert
Don’t worry, Ruth, you are basically correct because I do dabble now. But at one time I was a professional but never made any decent money! Had to stop.
Wow Michael. I’m on a bad keyboard but briefly I worked on Uxbridge St in Notting Hill next to your old house – for a photographer called Francis Loney – he had 2 grey cats there, sisters. My first experience with cats really. I also worked for a couple other companys doing sets and photographing them for interior design mags etc. Did alot of location work too, mostly indoor. I worked also freelance photographing nature. I won an Ilford landscape photography competition with a closeup (using a Micro Nikkor lense on a nikkormat – greatest lense ever made I think) of some bay leaves – and won 5 grands worth of Ilford stuff – set up my own darkroom with that. I learn’t colour developing at school but found the darkroom more fun as a printmaking medium – using the exposure through objects and liquids and so on – to create images. I also likedusing the old fibre based paper as you could paint it after and it would absorb water based paints nicely – I liked colouring my own bw images. Fun fun fun – I have some on my facebook – just pphotos ofphotos- not very good to see. Its a page with lots of pics andtheoccasional BW photo – photosofexgirlfriends – bad spacebar even a pic of me and Gigi in Canada https://www.facebook.com/marcthebikeman/media_set?set=a.10150131589730120.320989.623755119&type=3
I won a National Ilford award too and the prize was to exhibit at the Photographer’s Gallery which at the time was near Leicester Square. It is or was the no.1 gallery for photographers. I used Nikon F1! Trix-X. The good old days.
Michael, never knew that you were a professional photographer photographing celebrities for magazines.Thought you were in the normal serious profession of a “Divorce Lawyer” ! Great.
At first I was a photographer then went into management and then eventually qualified as a solicitor and did divorce and general work.
You and Marc have so much in common really. I love your photography Michael. I always have.
Wow that’s great! I hadno idea you were a photographer but just thought you take very good photos!
painted photoofmy dad https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150131794485120&set=a.10150131589730120.320989.623755119&type=3&theater
Excellent.A celebrity photographer yourself.
This is a nice and interesting thought Ruth. I think you are right. I think it is because we are free thinkers. We have our own minds. This free thinking encourages creativity. The two go together.
Also there is an independence of thought that mirrors the independence of the cat. Hence the reason why we like cats and get along well.
I do have a creative and enquiring mind. It is why I get bored fairly easily and also why I like to have an opinion and state it rather than just repeating what other people say. I may screw up and be wrong but as least I have an opinion and explore alternative ideas.
I have to mention your posters! Great creativity. They are unique and I am very proud that they are on PoC. I’ll put this one on the home page today.
Thank you Michael, I only design posters for PoC but I’m thrilled to find this week that the anti declaw ones are being used on a facebook page ‘Animal Haven’ and are being shared by many who are trying to educate pro declaws as to the truth of it.
This could never have happened if you hadn’t allowed me to post them here for people to see and use.
PoC is saving claws by the dozen!!!! 🙂
I saw that poster of yours on FB being used by a different group and I thought that was just great!
I like the kitty on the floor behind the piano player in your poster. That’s just how Zach, this cat I used to watch for some people, used to lay while I played the piano. If it was a song he liked he would purr loudly. If he didn’t like it he’d get up and walk out of the room.