In the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic San Francisco quickly instituted a mask mandate, when it was repealed there was a countdown in the streets and jubilation as reported on the front page of The San Francisco Examiner. To the right of the report was a piece by Annie Laurie celebrating the moment and lamenting how smiles had been hidden away, she declared the pandemic over and a return of smiling - however not long after this mask rules were put back in place as a spike in flu cases occurred.

'S.F. Feels Good Without Mask - It Hides the Only Thing Worth While - This City Always Has a Smile' - The San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco, California, 22 Nov 1918, Fri  •  Page 9