Facsimile reprint of the 2 book volume of 25 Cats Name Sam and One Blue Pussy and Holy Cats by Andy Warhol's Mother by Julia Warhola. Small format hardbacks in slipcase in fine condition.

About

Andy’s mother provided the calligraphy and inscribed the names of all the cats (all bar one named Sam and of which, in fact, there are only 15). The title of the book (with its over-counted cats) was partly conceived by Warhol’s friend Charles Lisanby (1924-2013) and so he was, therefore, given a writing credit as the “author” (in fact there is no text!) The unusual syntax of “25 Cats name Sam” (rather than “named Sam”) was the result of Warhol’s mother missing off the “d” - but you can almost hear her Slavonic accent in the wording here.

Warhol’s nascent style can clearly be seen in these early feline drawings. The plates were produced as photo-offset prints, which were then bound and individually hand-coloured by Warhol and his friends in what would become his signature bright colours.