Pets became family members and children worked in mills
“Portrait of Hippodale at Six Years Old,’’ (circa 1910), by Mariette Leslie Cotton, in the show “Wild Imagination: Art and Animals in the Gilded Age (1865-1915)’’ at the Rosecliff mansion in Newport, R.I, through Jan. 12.
Edited from curator’s remarks:
“During the Gilded Age (1865–1914), Americans’ relationship with animals was transformed in lasting ways. ‘Wild Imagination’ explores how this … era shaped our modern attitudes towards animals, from pampered pups to wondrous sea creatures. A broad range of artworks, photographs, scientific specimens, and other objects reflect vital period developments, including the dawn of the animal rights movement, the surge in pet keeping, the popularization of such natural history pursuits as birdwatching, and the golden era of zoos and circuses. They also reveal the stories and experiences of individual creatures who continue to capture our imagination.’’