Women Caught Off Guard: A Photo Essay

Abstract

No matter where we lived, I remember that some- body in the family always had a camera and took pictures or home movies of whatever we were do- ing. Together they created a pictorial diary of our lives. I am still fascinated by the faces of people I see when I thumb through our family photo al- bums—black and white Kodak snapshots with scalloped edges from the 1940s and ‘50s, lovingly pinned down with photo corners on black paper by my mother who meticulously wrote captions in white ink (Figure 1). These albums store the images and stories of important people and events in my family’s life. They also celebrate ordinary events—birthdays, holidays, going to the beach, new pets, cars, gardens, graduations, and funerals.