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Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Flu Masks


Photo from 1918 during the flu pandemic.
Looks like the cat even had a little mask!


51 comments:

  1. Odd, isn't it. I wonder if they just put one on the cat for the photo.

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    1. Maybe back then they thought animals could catch human viruses? Tame cat, that's what I think....I can't think of a single cat of mine that would tolerate a face mask! haha.

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  2. You're mistaken. That's "The Gasworks Gang" geared up to go and rob a bank. The cat is the lookout, and the big boy, "Neil the Nark", is the getaway car driver.

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    1. Is that who that is? haha....well, I wonder how far that old Model T got them!

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    2. She didn't tell me. Let's ask Eddie. I think he was alive back then.

      Seriously, though,...maybe a funeral? Almost 50 million died from that pandemic.

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    3. lol . . . . cheeky !!!
      I read somewhere the the 1918 flu epidemic was responsible for more lives lost than all the soldiers on both sides of that war. It does seem rather strange for her to be carrying a bunch of flowers. Funny about the little cat mask. I wonder if the masks worked to some degree. Glad my recent flu was not as severe . . . . :)

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    4. Right...more than the Great War, I think they called it...just read it was 50 million.
      Maybe if you had been wearing a mask, you wouldn't have gotten sick...twice! ha.

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    5. Hello ~ Methuselah here . . . lol
      Yes, they called it the Great War . . . . the war to end all wars . . . . . (and look what happened)
      Yes, I should have worn a mask ~ trouble is that I would have been the only one around these parts with one . . . . . lol

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    6. The only one? Well, now....you've never been one to want to blend into the crowd, have you? Ha.

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    7. I'm rather more of an introvert than you might think . . . haha. . . . . and when I was young I was very a very shy young man . . . . . ::)

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    8. Oh come now, Eddie, I sure you were a dashing young man about town in your youth. All the girls were rushing. . . . . to get away from you! Ha!

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    9. lol . . . . not so dashing, but yes second bit might be right . . . . :)

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  3. Oh I love the cat with the mask!
    So cute!
    Now you know if kn the future your cats need masks:)

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  4. I enlarge the pic and the cat is the most cute of the family:))

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  5. Yeah, orlin and cassie would have your hand
    If you tried to put that on them in any land
    Nasty old flu
    Sure spans the ages at every zoo

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    1. Worse than the dreaded cone of shame.
      Don't think they would think it was a game.
      haha.

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  6. Reminds me of the SARS scare a few years back....
    Seems like everyone in China wears a mask.....
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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    1. Yep! And interestingly enough, this pandemic in 1918 originated in China!
      It was the H1N1 virus, too, all the way back then.

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    2. China ~ now that is interesting ~ until now I thought it was Spain but perhaps that was the first European country to suffer.
      I can see why scientists are worried about a new deadly strain appearing . . . . very interesting .. . .

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    3. I think they wear masks in China mostly because of the smog. It is sickening in some areas and actually hard to breath.

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  7. So many folks died in 1918. I can see why they wore those masks. We got hit hard by the flu before Christmas. I have been afraid to go out much. Maybe I need a mask? Stay well! Taria

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    1. The flu has been going around here, too....we've been spared so far, thankfully. Glad you're better....it's yucky stuff!

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  8. Scary! The cat reminds me of your bird with the mask on ; )

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  9. Muffled meows
    from minute
    "Little Mittens"
    We can't have the flu
    amongst the colony of kittens!

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    1. Aw...that was cute! You can add poet to your long, impressive resume!

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    2. lol! every now and then I can get the poetic juices flowing :)

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  10. What an amazing photo... disturbing and cool at the same time. I see we are sharpening knives again...? :-)

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    1. Yes...sharpening the knives...not in a disturbing kind of way, though....lol....they are just dull. Have a few I didn't get to before.

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  11. Really interesting and creepy for the cat!

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  12. Hi Betsy, I still have a few traces left of the flu that hit me 2 days after Christmas. I remember hearing my grandmother talk about the Pandemic of 1918. Her mother died in it, and she almost died. I still recall the Hong Kong Flu in the late 1960's. It gave me the worst sore throat I've ever had. No sightings of my buddy Slate in quite a while. Lynne in NC

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    1. I'm looking at Slate right now....sound asleep. We'll have to do something about a photo shoot soon!

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  13. Hi Betsy .. Hardwick is up. That flu was awful .. it really decimated those who were left and their families. I expect they were going to a funeral - but such a great photo - though v sad ... cheers Hilary

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    1. I think it was a funeral, too....probably a family member since they took a picture.

      Can't wait to see Hardwick!

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  14. Not a bad idea!!! We wrestled with that nasty old bug over Christmas! Great photo find. blessings ~ tanna

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    1. So many people had that over Christmas! What a yucky time to be sick!

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  15. some how I find this sort of scary sad, I suppose the threat of flu right now makes it scary and the numbers it killed back then, wow, so sad,

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    1. Yes...so very sad....I'm sure they were all petrified. Flu doesn't seem so scary now...unless you are very young or very old......

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  16. It is funny that they are wearing masks outside unless they were afraid someone in the bunch was a TB carrier. It is a mystery.

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  17. In those days I guess they equated masks = influenza.
    These days I equate masks = terrorists

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  18. I have got to send this to my mom. Her retirement center is on " lockdown" because of the flu. She told me today she was going to slip out the back door and hop on the bus to Aldi. It's hard to keep an active 87 year old down!

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  19. Kind of scary but interesting to look at that old photo.It looks like the kitty is doing a good job o providing a little comfort to the family in a tough time.

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