This is a real photograph taken on September 24, 2001, about two weeks after the September 11 attacks, by Bay Area News Group photojournalist Jane Tyska while documenting the post-9/11 recovery effort in Manhattan. It shows two people washing a Mazda MX-5 Miata on a street near Ground Zero, with the skeletal remains of the South Tower of the World Trade Center visible in the background amid ongoing recovery and cleanup work.
When the Twin Towers collapsed, toxic dust, pulverized concrete, glass, and ash covered all surrounding streets and buildings. The black Mazda MX-5 Miata shown in the photo had been parked inside a nearby garage since September 11. Roughly two weeks later, when residents and owners were finally permitted back into the restricted zone to retrieve their vehicles, the owners pulled the car out and began hosing away the dense layer of hazardous debris so it could be safely driven out of the Financial District.
Photographers were drawn to the scene because it captured a stark juxtaposition: two everyday people engaging in a mundane task, washing a sports car, right in front of the wreckage of Ground Zero.
The photo has circulated widely in recent years (especially in Miata enthusiast communities), sometimes sparking skepticism that it might be AI-generated or staged due to the stark contrast between the ordinary act of washing a car and the catastrophic scene behind it. Tyska has confirmed its authenticity, calling claims that it’s fake “absolutely ridiculous.” She still works as a staff photographer and happens to own a classic red NA Miata herself.
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