
In my two steps forward, one step back effort to pare down my belongings, I have been through a lot of old slides and photos. I have been struck by the trend from the somber faces of the 1800s to smiling. but still posed, portraits of the mid 1900s to the whimsical groupings of today. In 1980, we celebrated my mother's sixtieth birthday. She came down for the weekend and we had a lovely dinner in Iowa City, took her to a performance of The King and I at Hancher, and then surprised her with arrangements to have a photographer, who was also a friend of my brothers, to take a formal family picture at the Iowa Memorial Union. When the photographer finished, he said "I've always wanted to do this, but I know you people well enough to ask. Everyone turn around and face the wall." Hence the picture above, which is the one I have framed.


What's in your albums?