Artwork Record
Images
![[Portrait of Room 8 on Bookshelf]](https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_1393/006/thumbs/img1_1245_untitled.jpg)
![[Portrait of Room 8 on Bookshelf]](https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_1393/019/thumbs/dr17.jpg)
![[Portrait of Room 8 on Bookshelf]](https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_1393/019/thumbs/dr17-3.jpg)
![[Portrait of Room 8 on Bookshelf]](https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_1393/019/thumbs/dr17-4.jpg)
Metadata
Title |
[Portrait of Room 8 on Bookshelf] |
Date |
1959 |
Object Name |
Drawing |
Description |
A large grey cat named Room 8 sits on a bookshelf full of books. The watercolor and pastel drawing is 35-1/2"h x 39-1/2"w framed and glazed; the frame measures 38-1/2" x 42-1/2". Signed and dated in the lower right corner./1959. Condition: Excellent. There was no wear or damage noted to the painting at the time of inventory. The frame has some small scratches and paint flecks around the edges. Inventory History: Monique Maas Gibbons,10/18/2000 In the book "A Cat Called Room 8" by Beverly Mason and Virginia Finley illustrated by Valerie Martin, G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York (1966) tells the story of the drawing with illustrations. Excerpt: "The school started a library. There were many beautiful books. Everyone felt Room 8 should be a part of this room. Melvin painted a picture of Room 8 sitting proudly by a stack of books with one gray paw raised. It looks as if he were asking every child to read a book! This picture was hung on the library wall." Room 8 (c.1947 – August 13, 1968) was a neighborhood cat who wandered into a classroom in 1952 at Elysian Heights Elementary School and lived in the school during the school year and then disappeared for the summer, returning when classes started again. This pattern continued without interruption until the mid-1960s. |
Catalog Number |
DR17 |
School Site # |
3575 |
School Name |
Elysian Heights Elementary School |
Dimension Details |
35-1/2"h x 39-1/2"w (sight) |
Frame size |
42-1/2" x 38-1/2" |
Frame desc |
Glazed |
Image size |
35-1/2" x 39-1/2" |
Material |
Watercolor and pastel |
Artist |
Melvin V. |
Role Artist |
Artist |
Inscription Location |
LRC |
Related Publications |
A Cat Called Room 8 by Beverly Mason and Virginia Finley illustrated by Valerie Martin, G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York (1966) LOOK Magazine, Vol. 26, No. 24, November 20, 1962, "Room 8: the School Cat", Produced by Stanley Gordon, Photography by Richard Hewett Elysian Courier newspaper, Vol. X, Issue 1, November 1968 The Story of Room 8 by Beverly Mason, August 13, 1968 "A Different Kind of Cat" Orthopedic Hospital Newsletter, March, 1978 "Celibrity Cat--a Rare and Unusual Cat--Room 8" by Beverly Mason, All Cats magazine, January 1976 Los Angeles Times, various dates Weird California by Greg Bishop, Joe Oesterle and Mike Marinacci , Sterling Publishing Co. (2006), ISBN: 10: 1-4027-3384-4 Source: http://explorehistoricalif.com/ehc_legacy/room8.html |