Editorial comment for this plate:

MARK TWAIN’S KITTENS.

We present our readers this week with a picture somewhat out of the usual order of photographs.

It is a group of kittens belonging to America’s most popular humorist, Mr. Samuel l. Clemons, better known as “Mark Twain.” Mr. Clemons spends every summer-his working season -at Elmira, N. Y., and it is here that his pet kittens were photographed in his study. Mr. Charles Van Aken, of Elmira, was the successful photographer, and he has another picture of the same kittens, “Fast Asleep,” which is just as successful as this, “Wide Awake.”

A follow up, with Mark Twain weighing in on this photograph, was published in the May 15, 1891 issue of the Photographic Times:

MARK TWAIN’S KITTENS.

Mr. EDWIN WILDMAN, editor of The Echoes, of Elmira, N. Y., sends us the following letter of Mr. Clemens (Mark Twain), concerning his cats, which were presented to our readers in photogravure in our May 1st issue.

The letter was written to Mr. Wildman, and is as follows :

” There is nothing of continental or international interest to communicate about those cats. They had no history: they did not distinguish themselves in any way. They died early—on account of being overweighted with their names, it was thought: Sour Mash, Appollinaris, Zoroaster, and Blatherskite—names given them not in an unfriendly spirit, but merely to practice the children in large and difficult styles of pronunciation. It was a very happy idea—I mean, for the children.

“Mark Twain.”

Charles Van Aken: 1865-1952