Early Furry Fan Photos – by Fred Patten.

by Patch O'Furr

Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.

Greymuzzle Stickmaker (Rodford Edmiston Smith), an attendee and photographer of many World S-F Conventions and other s-f conventions of the 1980s through the 2000s, has been posting his photos on Flickr since late September.

Most are of interest to s-f fans, but some contain pictures of furry fans at bygone s-f conventions. (I’m in there, but never mind where – I don’t photograph well.)

A fox fursuiter (but the word “fursuit” didn’t exist yet) at the 1991 Worldcon in Chicago.  (link)

w91m003

Paul Kidd in the Bushranger hat at back, and Jim Groat under his GraphXpress banner, at the 1989 Worldcon in Boston. Steve Martin (?) drawing. (link)

15349430911_c3ec0ebf74_b

Jim Groat again, at the 1991 Worldcon in Chicago. (Link)

15166672547_d504b92de2_z

Terrie Smith next to Jim Groat’s GraphXpress booth at the 1991 Worldcon. The ConFurence’s Sydney Fisher in the background. (link)

15353394595_3e4231701b_z

Jim Groat and Mel. White at the 1991 Worldcon. (link)

15166995497_ce60e4f4ee_z

Cheryl and Terrie Smith at the 1993 Worldcon in San Francisco. (link)

15353811015_09b85b9d31_z

Jim Groat again, at the 1995 NASFiC in Atlanta. (link)

15354377435_0c6a6af586_z

Stickmaker at the 1999 NASFiC in Anaheim. (link)

 

13999424378_e9be9e4b5a_z

Ashley Grayson (s-f literary agent) and Mark Merlino, at the 1999 NASFiC. (link)

13999006269_0d7060e042_z

Here is a tigress costumer at the 1989 Worldcon in Boston. The Japanese word “cosplay” hadn’t caught on in America yet.  (link)

15329564816_c7803ae44a_z

A faun.  (link)

15166105427_0557e9a2cc_z

A rabbit fursuiter next to a Klingon at the 1991 Worldcon.  (link)

15166608489_29c452ee7b_z

A thunderbird costumer at the 1991 Worldcon’s Masquerade. (link)

15166942507_9a7cf8bd7d_z

A big caterpillar at the 1991 Worldcon’s Masquerade. (link)

15353175932_d2af083b7d_z

This is just a fraction of the fans and costumes that Stickmaker has photographed, along with s-f authors and artists like Isaac Asimov, Hal Clement, and Frank Kelly Freas. Check ‘em out.

– Fred Patten