This collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access to digital files may require additional advanced notice.
For more information contact us via mail, phone, or our web form.
The Claire Necker Papers contain notes, drafts, compilations of images, clippings, artifacts, and publications relating to Necker's research interests on cats. The writings and illustrations in the collection includes notes and drafts as well as illustrations Necker compiled during research for publications. There are numerous notebooks listing publications. Additionally, there is artwork and artifacts relating to cats or other animals. The correspondence series is fairly short with mostly letters to Necker. A portion of the correspondence is with Guy Bogart, who traded lengthy typed letters with Necker and two other correspondents. Much of the material is undated, but likely dates from the 1960s-1980s with some clippings dating from the late 19th or early 20th century, or earlier.
Claire Kral Necker was born Claire Kral Nemec on 16 October 1917. In 1939 she married Walter L. Necker, who was then completing a BS in zoology at the University of Chicago. She and Walter shared interests in science and bibliography. Walter worked with a variety of organizations as, at various times, scientist, librarian, curator and rare books cataloger. Claire earned Master's degrees in Zoology and Chemistry (when and where is not documented, though it was sometime before 1968), and after World War II she and Walter started Aardvark Books, a mail-order antiquarian book business. Claire and Walter divorced in 1968, and she found work at a local library. Claire had for some time pursued a career as a free-lance writer, but in 1969 she published her first book, Cats and Dogs (A. S. Barnes). Necker's other works include The Natural History of Cats (Delta, 1970), Supernatural Cats; An Anthology (Doubleday, 1972), Four Centuries of Cat Books (Scarecrow Press, 1972), and The Cat's Got Our Tongue (Scarecrow Press, 1973). She died 19 March 2010 in Pawling, New York.
Claire Kral Necker was born Claire Kral Nemec on 16 October 1917. In 1939 she married Walter L. Necker, who was then completing a BS in zoology at the University of Chicago. She and Walter shared interests in science and bibliography. Walter worked with a variety of organizations as, at various times, scientist, librarian, curator and rare books cataloger. Claire earned Master's degrees in Zoology and Chemisty (when and where is not documented, though it was sometime before 1968), and after World War II she and Walter started Aardvark Books, a mail-order antiquarian book business. Claire and Walter divorced in 1968, and she found work at a local library. Claire had for some time pursued a career as a free-lance writer, but in 1969 she published her first book, Cats and Dogs (A. S. Barnes). Necker's other works include The Natural History of Cats (Delta, 1970), Supernatural Cats; An Anthology (Doubleday, 1972), Four Centuries of Cat Books (Scarecrow Press, 1972), and The Cat's Got Our Tongue (Scarecrow Press, 1973). She died 19 March 2010 in Pawling, New York.
The Claire Necker Papers contain notes, drafts, compilations of images, clippings, artifacts, and publications relating to Necker's research interests on cats. The writings and illustrations in the collection includes notes and drafts as well as illustrations Necker compiled during research for her publications. There are numerous notebooks listing publications. Additionally, there is artwork and artifacts relating to cats or other animals. The correspondence series is fairly short with mostly letters to Necker. A portion of the correspondence is with Guy Bogart, who traded lengthy typed letters with Necker and two other correspondents. Much of the material is undated, but likely dates from the 1960s-1980s with some clippings dating from the late 19th or early 20th century, or earlier.
Claire Necker donated her collection to the Animal Rights Network in 1998, and the collection came to NC State University Libraries with the ARN collection in 2003.
The Necker Papers are organized into four series: Writing and Illustrations, Correspondence, and Clippings, Publications, and Other Images, and Artifacts. Files within the series are in alphabetical order, and folder labels throughout are original, or very close to the original, except when noted. Although the files are not in strict original order, the series organization keeps groups of documents together as they were found by the creator. The material in the Clippings and Publications series is often similar to the illustration files in the first series, but less organized, and not originally found in the cartons that contained Necker's manuscripts.
Artifacts were arranged and described as received in cartons.
The nature of the NC State University Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NC State University Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
The nature of the NC State University Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NC State University Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.
[Identification of item], Claire Necker Collection of Cat Artifacts and Papers, MC 00364, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Manuscript materials purchased for the NC State University Libraries by anonymous donors, 2003 (Accession no. 2003-0004).
The collection included more than 1,000 books about cats and thousands of cat collectibles upon arrival at the Special Collections Research Center. Some of the books were incorporated into the NC State University Libraries' general collection, and some artifacts were not kept. The books in the general collection are cataloged with "Animal Rights Network Collection" in the "Other Author" field.
Processed by Babi Hammond, October 2011; machine-readable finding aid created by Babi Hammond, November 2011; updated by Sarah Bost and Samantha Crisp, July 2013; updated by Danielle Dantzler and Taylor Wolford, May 2023.
The collection is organized into four principal series:
Found in unlabeled envelope. Includes some handwritten notes.
Includes photos and negatives.
Notes on cat names.
Label is from original binder.
Album of clippings and illustrations.
Found unfoldered, bound with rubber band.
Images of cats and food. Label is original.
Dated envelope with single trade card, perhaps early 20th century French.
Typed draft.
Images (one photograph), trade cards, and clippings. Original folder also had "Cooking" written at top.
Images of cats mooching for food.
Album of clippings and illustrations. Also labled "Volume One," though no volume two was found in the collection.
Album of greeting cards.
Typed manuscript. Folder label is orginal. "Corres" possibly an abbreviation of "Corrections"?
Found with other folders in hanging file labeled "Sort."
Found with other folders in hanging file labeled "Sort."
Folder label is taken from original hanging folder.
Label is taken from heading on first leaf of notebook.
Unlabeled notebook containing lists of artists under various thematic headings, such as "People and Cats."
Found at top of carton of material apparently from ARN; appears to belong to Necker papers, though the attribution is uncertain.
Typed pages, found paperclipped together but unfoldered.
Typed story with pencil note at top "Samples of folk literature, classification: 'Helpful Cats.'"
This folder includes a group of images found unfoldered in front of this folder; they may or may not belong with the others, but seemed to fit best into this group than in the other adjacent folder (labeled "Art--Pre-Columbian")
Album of clippings and illustrations.
Notes and clippings.
Notes and clippings.
Found unfoldered, paper-clipped together in hanging file labeled "Sort."
Found in magazine box, together with Manuscript 2. This one is titled "Occult Cats." The documents are not numbered, but are designated 1 and 2 by the processor; 1 was found on top of 2 in the original box.
Found in magazine box, together with Manuscript 2. This one is titled "Occult Cats." The documents are not numbered, but are designated 1 and 2 by the processor; 1 was found on top of 2 in the original box.
Found in magazine box, together with Manuscript 1. This one is titled "Which Cat is Witch." The documents are not numbered, but are designated 1 and 2 by the processor; 1 was found on top of 2 in the original box.
Found in magazine box, together with Manuscript 1. This one is titled "Which Cat is Witch." The documents are not numbered, but are designated 1 and 2 by the processor; 1 was found on top of 2 in the original box.
Folder label is original.
Found with other folders in hanging file labeled "Sort."
Manuscript, notes, and images about cats and sex. Folder label is original.
Manuscript, notes, and images about cats and sex. Folder label is original.
Notes, typed pages (some heavily annotated), and some clippings.
Found unfoldered.
Found unfoldered.
Original folder label was "Unclassified."
Images of cats--mounted, clippings, and postcards--found unfoldered in another carton.
Images of cats--mounted, clippings, and postcards--found unfoldered with manuscripts. Many images have sizing notes and reproduction tags, indicating they might have been used or intended for use in publications.
Images of cats--mounted, clippings, and postcards--found unfoldered with manuscripts. Many images have sizing notes and reproduction tags, indicating they might have been used or intended for use in publications.
Photographs, clippings and mementos about Guy Bogart, who is identified in some clippings as President of National Cat Week. Includes several items signed by him, and, inserted at the back, letters to Claire and Walter Necker about National Cat Week, and a letter from Walter Necker to the editors of a cat encyclopedia.
Letters (many lengthy) to and from Bogart; some from him are not addressed to Claire Necker, but many are. The order is original, but the chronology is confused.
Two letters from Budge, an Egyptologist at the British Museum, addressed to Walter Klinefelter[?] with clippings and a copy of a 1929 booklet prepared by Budge, dedicated to "Mike, the CAT who assisted in keeping the Main Gate of the British Museum from February 1909 to January 1929."
A few letters and several photographs and publications from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory planetary exploration missions, on which Cesarone worked.
Found in unlabeled envelope.
Correspondence is not complete; only copies of Necker's early letters. 1968 batch is letters from Gertrude Newton about Mellen.
Mostly letters to Necker. Folder label is original.
Original folder labeled "All Pets Mag., Cat Arts not."
Found unfoldered. Mostly images of animals, some cats, some articles about animal-related topics. The majority deal with art and decorative design. These are larger-format items, including prints and calendars.
Found unfoldered. Mostly images of animals, some cats, some articles about animal-related topics. The majority deal with art and decorative design. These are larger-format items, including prints and calendars.
Found unfoldered. Mostly images of animals, some cats, some articles about animal-related topics. The majority deal with art and decorative design. These are larger-format items, including prints and calendars.
Found unfoldered. Mostly images of animals, some cats, some articles about animal-related topics. The majority deal with art and decorative design. These are larger-format items, including prints and calendars.
Found unfoldered. Mostly images of animals, some cats, some articles about animal-related topics. The majority deal with art and decorative design. These are larger-format items, including prints and calendars.
Primarily from The Buffalo News.
Photographs and flier found in unlabeled folder.
Found unfoldered.
Found unfoldered and separated into descriptive groups by processor.
Typed booklet of cat story.
All depict cats.
Series of 8 x 10 photographs of two Siamese cats, possibly Necker's.
Tracing paper sketches or traces of cats in the shape of various letters. Folder label is original.
A generic cat coloring book, a Top Cat and a Felix the Cat coloring and sticker books.
Found unfoldered and separated into descriptive groups by processor.
Found unfoldered and separated into descriptive groups by processor.
Generic cat coloring book, probably from 1980s, coloring and sticker books featuring Top Cat and Felix the Cat, perhaps from the 1960s or 1970s.
Magazine clippings. Label is original.
Found unfoldered with other clippings and publications.
Titles in English, German, Spanish, Swedish, Greek, Japanese and other languages.
Titles in English, French, Turkish, Welsh, Greek and other languages.
Unlabeled folder of a few magazine clippings.
Set of reproductions, found in unlabeled folder.
Found unfoldered and separated into descriptive groups by processor.
Six books of pencil sketches (each 5.5 x 8.5 x .5 inches), with a few color washes, mostly of pets, by unknown artist. Assuming the people depicted are shown wearing every-day clothing, the sketches likely date from the late 19th or early 20th century.
Primarily images of cats from publications, greeting cards, ads, trade cards. Some articles are also included.
This collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access to digital files may require additional advanced notice.
For more information contact us via mail, phone, or our web form.
For more information contact us via mail, phone, or our web form.
Mailing address:
Special Collections Research Center
Box 7111
Raleigh, NC, 27695-7111
Phone: (919) 515-2273
[Identification of item], Claire Necker Collection of Cat Artifacts and Papers, MC 00364, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
The nature of the NC State University Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NC State University Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
The nature of the NC State University Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NC State University Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.
