I suppose it's odd for me to refer to someone whose name I just learned as a legend, but I think it's justified in this sense.
Walter Chandoha died on January 11. He was a WWII vet. He served as a combat photographer in the South Pacific. He was a professional freelance photographer. He photographed (among many other subjects) cats.

This is his cat, and original subject, Loco. Loco was found as a stray in Astoria, Queens, shivering and alone on a snowy day. From what I read, this was the beginning of a photographer's appreciation of cats. At his death, it is estimated he'd taken 90,000 photos of cats.
While I can, in no way, compare myself to Walter Chandoha, I do suppose we share that.
The NYT obituary gives you far more information, far better written, than I could, and the link to his website will give you a far better appreciation for his art than I am able to.
I've no memory of ever hearing his name, but I do remember some of the images on pet food bags and cans from my youth. I've just learned that they were his. It's a funny sensation, having a name to put with the photo. I mean..I knew the photos were taken, of a cat and by a person, but it's nice to know who that person was.
I've looked at some (a bare tiny fraction) of Mr Chanodha's work. The cat pics were what I went for first (because, obviously....) but I really loved his New York City in the Mid 20th Century photos. In truth, I think I liked his black and white photos most of all, landscape and feline.
I'd thought, and read the comment, that since Mr Chandoha took so many pics of cats he almost single-handedly created the Internet. He didn't diminish it, that's for sure. I think he helped set aside the tiny little space in it that became mine, and Daisy's. I'll try not to waste it.
90,000.
Challenge accepted.
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