Historical Pets Who Were Great at Working from Dwelling house

By Stacey Flores Chandler, Reference Archivist

When you work where you live – every bit both President John F. Kennedy and author Ernest Hemingway oftentimes did – pets tend to prove upwards whenever they similar and remain unbothered by workplace beliefs rules. In the hope of adding some joy (and historical knowledge!) to your 24-hour interval, hither's a selection of photographs from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library's archival collections that involve cute animals living their best lives.

Cats

The get-go of many pets to move into the Kennedy White Business firm was Tom Kitten, whom the Associated Press described as "a cat of undetermined age and dubious background." Tom Kitten's inflow caught the attention of printing photographers, and he tolerated their interest long enough for a photo shoot in January 1961.

JFKWHP-AR6292-A. Outset Lady Jacqueline Kennedy's Press Secretary Pamela Turnure holds Caroline Kennedy'south cat Tom Kitten during a visit with press at the White Firm, 24 January 1961.

Simply the majority of the cats in our archives come courtesy of writer and cat addict Ernest Hemingway. In improver to Hemingway's papers, the Library has several photograph collections that document the writer's life and career – and his many, many cats doing cat activities, including sitting on various objects, interrupting people who are trying to work, and putting their faces into things.

EHPH-03384. Ernest Hemingway's cat Large Boy Peterson sits among papers in front of a window with a view of Baldheaded Mountain at Hemingway'southward dwelling in Ketchum, Idaho, undated. Copyright unknown.
EHPH-01192. Good Volition, Hemingway's Angora tiger cat, lounges in a chair at Hemingway's abode in Cuba, the Finca Vigia, undated. Copyright unknown.
EHPH-03157. Ernest Hemingway holds his cat Cristobal while typing at his desk in his dwelling in Cuba, the Finca Vigia. This image was captured during a shoot for a 1953 LOOK Magazine story. Photograph by Earl Theisen, copyright Roxann Livingston / Earl Theisen Archives [used here with cheers to Roxann Livingston].
EHPH-08505. Ernest Hemingway watches as his cat Cristobal investigates a glass of water on a table in his home in Republic of cuba, the Finca Vigia, circa 1960. Copyright unknown.

Dogs

John F. Kennedy seemed to be more than of a canis familiaris fan himself; despite a documented allergy, he had dogs around for most of his life. He and Jacqueline Kennedy already had one dog in the family when they moved into the White House – a Welsh terrier named Charlie – and they would add Clipper, Wolf, Shannon, Pushinka (a gift from Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev), and Charlie and Pushinka's four puppies over the grade of the assistants. Luckily, White House photographers were always ready to capture the contributions of these and other very skilful dogs in the Kennedy orbit.

In his oral history interview, unofficial White House "domestic dog wrangler" Traphes Bryant describes teaching Pushkina how to play on Caroline Kennedy'southward slide: "President Kennedy asked me how I taught Pushinka to climb the ladder and slide downwardly the chute. I told President Kennedy I moved a peanut upwardly pace by step. He laughed when I showed him the pictures."

Other Commencement Dogs are pictured in the White House Photographs collection enjoying such favorite dog hobbies equally sitting on human furniture, eating treats, following people around, and getting pets.

KN-C29659-B. Kennedy family dog, Shannon, sits in a chair in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, 13 Baronial 1963.
ST-C363-2-63. John F. Kennedy, Jr. feeds Clipper on the walkway exterior the Oval Part. Family dogs Shannon (center) and Wolf (right) stand up nearby equally the President'southward Personal Secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, looks on, 24 October 1963.
KN-27613. President John F. Kennedy and John F. Kennedy, Jr. (holding his father'south manus), walk along a path at Campsite David in Frederick County, Maryland. They're followed by Kennedy family dog Charlie; Nether Secretarial assistant of the Navy Paul "Crimson" Fay with his girl Sally; White House motion picture photographer Lieutenant Thomas M. Atkins; and Beginning Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, 31 March 1963.
ST-C267-vii-63. President John F. Kennedy speaks on the telephone while First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and their children, Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy, Jr., sit with their dogs, White Tips (with John Jr.), Wolf (on Caroline's lap), and Clipper (at right), at Brambletyde house on Squaw Island, Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, 14 Baronial 1963.

ponies

The Kennedys also had a number of ponies and horses, including one of the nearly famous Presidential pets: Caroline Kennedy's pony, Macaroni. Macaroni and his boyfriend ponies Tex (a gift from Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson) and Leprechaun (a gift from President Éamon de Valera of Ireland) were most often found exploring the grounds at the White House and other Kennedy homes. The ponies can besides be seen taking the fourth dimension to ignore meetings between earth leaders and topple the President of the The states onto the basis.

KN-22363. President John F. Kennedy walks forth the walkway from the South Lawn to the West Fly Pillar outside the Oval Part at the White House. Caroline Kennedy follows on her pony Macaroni, 22 June 1962.
AR7185-Thousand. President John F. Kennedy, Prime Minister Harold Macmillan of Great Britain, Ambassador of Bang-up United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland Sir David Ormsby-Gore; First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy; and the Administrator's wife, Sylvia Thomas Ormsby-Gore stand up on the Due south Lawn at the White House as Kennedy family ponies Macaroni (in front) and Tex stand up at right, 29 April 1962.
ST-C387-32-63 and ST-C387-33-63. Announcer Benjamin Bradlee watches as Kennedy family pony Leprechaun nuzzles President John F. Kennedy at Wexford, the Kennedys' residence in Atoka, Virginia, 10 November 1963.

Happily, these photographs represent only a pocket-sized selection of the fun brute content in our archives. You can check out more athenaeum animals on our website, and go on an eye on our blog for future fauna-related posts. Meanwhile, remember to wash your hands often – even if yous haven't but fed a deer!

ST-C305-1-63. President John F. Kennedy feeds staff of life to a deer at Lassen Volcanic National Park in California, 27 September 1963.