Category: Photo/Image Year: 2003 Status: Lost (to me, at least)
During the 2003 SARS outbreak, I came across what appeared to be a professional wire service photograph in a news story — AP, Reuters, or AFP quality — that I've never been able to relocate.
What I remember:
A cat wearing a surgical mask, sitting on what appears to be an ironing board
The cat is the clear subject — it's in focus, centered
In the background, slightly blurred, is an Asian woman who appears to be working — possibly a laundress or someone doing domestic work
The setting suggests Hong Kong, mainland China, Singapore, or Taiwan — somewhere in the SARS epicenter region
The photo had the composition and quality of legitimate photojournalism, not a snapshot or meme
What I don't know for certain:
I called the photo "SARS kitty" but I'm not sure if that was my own nickname or an actual caption/title it circulated under
I can't confirm the exact wire service
I don't remember which publication or website I found it on
Why it's hard to find:
This predates image search and widespread photo indexing. If it ran in a newspaper or news site in 2003, the image metadata likely isn't publicly searchable. It probably exists in a paywalled archive (Getty, AP Images, Corbis/VCG) but I can't access those.
Has anyone seen this, or know how to search wire photo archives effectively for something this specific?