(by Patricia Lichtenberg, Palmetto cattery; published in the CFA Almanac, June 1995)

What a glorious if sometimes obscure road the elusive Smoke has traveled, from its origins in the late 1800's in Great Britain to the show ring of today's cat shows.

No one knows the true origin of the smokes, but many long time breeders tend to agree that they evolved from breeding the silver tabby to blacks and blues. The early smokes had green eyes.In the late 1800's breeders began to cross their resulting smoke offspring from the silvers back to blacks and blues, and eventually bred in the copper eyes.

Another theory on the origin of the color on the smoke Persian came from a article published by Donald Martin he states that "Originally, the smoke came from a tabby in which the gene for marking mutated and, instead of producing black markings on top of a silver white coat, the mutation gave a solid black coat on top of the white."

An English author, Soderburg published a book entitled "Pedigree Cats, Their Varieties, Breeding and Exhibition". It was a very informative book, loaded with photographs, featuring many of the most popular English cats of the day. There was an excellent chapter on Smokes included.

In the very first paragraph, he mentions the plight of the Smokes "The Smoke is a breed which was much more commonly seen at the shows fifty years ago than is the case today, and it was during the first twenty years of the present century that there were a few smokes of really outstanding quality which could hold their own with the best specimens of any of the other breeds. Since that time the position has changed considerably. Although several of the breeds which at that time were in their comparative infancy have improved almost beyond recognition, the Smoke as a breed has tended to disappear."

Why the slow progress?

There were thirty Smokes in the National Cat Club Stud Book and Register for the years 1900-1905, but when the newly-formed Governing Council of the Cat Fancy published it's first Stud Book in 1912, there were only 18 Smokes.

By the end of the second World War in 1945, the Smokes were practically nonexistent. There were just not enough breeders willing to give their ""all""for the Smokes. The few serious breeders were scattered and had to go it alone. With the problems involved, it is surprising that they accomplished anything.

Some of these early Smoke breeders were Alice and Judy Phillips of Iverness Cattery, breeders of Double Champion Inverness Dark Beau who took several Best Smoke wins in 1944-1945 (and advertised for stud in Our Cats Magazine for the stud fee of $20.00). Lydia O.Cypher of Akanta cattery, Carrie and Lucy Clingan of Kerry Lu Cattery,and Mrs Mildred Joseph of Nani Leu Cattery all exhibited winning smokes in the late 1940's and early 1950's.

In the 60's Mr and Mrs Paul H. Raine of Fair Oaks Cattery exhibited a All-American smoke male, Quad Champion Uwahi Nui Nui of Fair Oaks. Mary Appleman and Eileen Gleeson of Miss Tiny's Cattery, breeders of Miss Tiny's Josey-by-Joe, All- Eastern Blue Smoke Persian Female 1958, and All American Blue Smoke Persian 1959-1960, Miss Tiny's Duke of Margate, all- American Blue Smoke Persian Male 1960, (Both of these were All-American Awards given by Cats Magazine and included all organizations- CFA still had not recognized the Blue Smoke for Championship status).

Wolfgang cattery breeders of several Grand Champions and double Grand Champions including Wolfgang Melody of Be-Ba, 1958 Cat of the year, opposite sex. Mrs Rex Foster Jr., was a exhibitor of smokes in 1966 showing the Best Smoke Male, Ch Mar-Geo Mighty Thor of Rangemore. Mrs V.V. Shuh of Skyway Cattery had 1960's All- American HM Smoke female, Ch.Skyway's Elata of Silver Bell.

In 1961, the Cameo colors, including the Red Smoke, were awarded championship status in C.F.A.. No one at that time could ever predict what a far reaching effect the lovely little Shaded Cameos would have on the Smokes. At that time, no reputable breeder would ever consider "ruining the Smokes purity of color by purposely mixing the red gene into the black smoke gene. What ever would they do with all the little "Cameo-Recessives", as the Smoke Tortie was known as then. They were certainly not worthy enough to have their own name!

The 20 years between 1958 and 1978 were very formative years for the Smokes. As interest in the cameos bloomed, so did interest in breeding for the Smoke-Torties, instead of just using them to produce more cameos.

The Blue Smoke interestingly enough was not recognized for championship status in CFA until July 1, 1962, nearly a year after the Red Smoke and 73 years after they had their own class in England.

It was not until 1965 that the smokes received their own Class in CFA. Before that they were shown in the Shaded Class, which at that time consisted of Chinchilla Silver, Shaded Silver, Black Smoke and Silver Tabby, (which could be shown either as a Silver or Tabby, depending on what Premium List the Show Secretary placed it on.)

In the late 1960's, Joan O' Hara's Araho Smokes were virtually unbeatable at the shows. In 1967-1968. the Araho Cattery bred, owned and finished four black Grand Champion Smokes, a feat unequaled by any other breeder of any other variety that season. In 1967 the Best Black Smoke was Araho's Gr.CH. Moonshine, who also claimed the title in 1968. In 1969 Gr.CH. Araho Cheyenne of Polly Pur-Jhan was Best Smoke and Gr.CH. Araho Moonmist was Best Smoke opposite sex. "Cheyenne" also claimed the title once again in 1970, and "Moonmist" was Best Smoke Nationally in 1971 when the Hydon-Goodwin Awards were replaced by Top 10 and later Top 20 National Awards in CFA.

In 1972 a Blue Smoke female, Catsrealm Berrenda of Nor-Mont, bred by Connie Davis and owned by Mrs Merald Hoag captured the coveted title of 4th Best Kitten National. Connie Davis also bred National 5th Best Kitten, Catsrealm Bienquista, a black smoke female. What a accomplishment both for the Smokes, and for their breeder! Who could ever have guessed that it would be twenty-two years before there was another kitten National Smoke win????

1976 saw the first adult National Win of a Smoke Cat,13th Best Cat and Best Smoke Baji Windjammer Of Black Creek, bred by Walter and Sidney Keller, owned by Wesley and Jacqueline Hyde.

May 1, 1977 saw the lovely Tortie-Smoke finally recognized for CFA championship status! What a red-letter day for the breeders who had strived so hard for so many years for these little Shady Ladies!! At the same time the Blue-Cream Smoke also achieved championship status.

There have been Two National Premiership Wins by Smokes. In 1988-1989, 9th Best Cat in Premiership GRC/NW Meadowood Masquerade bred and owned by Lileen and Ralph Dunn.

1991-1992-,10th Best Cat in Premiership was GRC/NW Palmetto A Yankee Came A Courting, bred by Patricia Lichtenberg and co-owned with Leslie Carr. Both of the above named cats are Tortie-Smokes.

The 1970's saw more breeders working with the Smokes. There was Lillian and Perry Gruel, who produced CFA's 1st Torie-Smoke Grand Champion, Peari's Cordial Cherry in 1978. Pat Lichtenberg of Palmetto, Vaugn Barber of Les Mew, Sue Stevens of Surfside, Mary and Tim Carroll of Tempra, Midge Wernig of Windy Oaks, Ron and Harlean Hershey of Ron-Lean, Walter and Sydney Keller of Baji, Wes and Jackie Hyde of Black Creek Connie Davis of Catsrealm, Jean Nordlund of Peri, Kitty Colby of Colbyshire, Sharon Arn of La-Fume, Barbara Naviax of Rodabi and Dorothy Rogers of Charcoal. Several of the above breeders are still actively pursuing their Smoke breeding programs, and are the foundation of many of the beautiful Smokes being shown today.