July 22, 1898

Alexander Calder (July 22, 1898 to November 11, 1976) did sketches though he is best known for his revolutions in sculpture. This sketch is probably for sculptures.

Alexander Calder was the son and grandson of sculptors. His wife was the grandniece of William James. They raised a family on a farm near Roxbuy Connecticut. There, as a young man, his idea of humor included dressing his black cat, in a feline sized silk shirt. He described the cat thus attired as like a prostitute. He was young then, and presumably gained some sense as his art matured.

This incident with the cat we found in Bird's Eye View: Dancing With Martha Graham and on Broadway, Dorothy Bird, and Joyce Greenberg (2002).