Ruth at 22

This is my paternal grandmother, Ruth Isaacson, in 1936. So, that's before she's Ruth Isaacson and was still Ruth Sembach.

I'm particularly enamored of this hat. I always look at older pictures and wonder why we don't wear hats anymore.

Yes? Is this your chair?

Ha! I'm sitting in it.

The problem with being a blond kid is that everyone assumes you have no hair for the longest time. Really, I had hair. It's just very pale and fine.

The Sembachs cruising

This undated picture is of my great-grandparents, Anna and Henry Sembach, taking a cruise on Lake Michigan.

Personally, I prefer the Caribbean cruise because it's warmer, but Anna and Henry look appropriately bundled up ...

Picture thanks to my Aunt Ellen.

Barbara reading

Another reading picture.

Piano Baby

Perched atop the piano at my grandparent's house in Nashville, I listen to my mother play the piano.

Dorothy and Frank

Dorothy and Frank Leighton looking rather jolly in 1971.

Oscar at work

My Aunt Ellen just sent a number of Isaacson family pictures, so I've got more to share from that side of my family.

This is my grandfather, Oscar Isaacson, at work in Chicago.

We've been without a post for several days. I've been at Dallas at a conference -- and a very busy conference, indeed. I don't have an excuse for Bradley. He was busy doing something, I'm sure.

Young American, Young American, She Wants the Young American

From my godson, Will Murphy, comes this picture of Captain America. Please note the explanation.

Young Joe Bradley

For those of you wondering, the reason Emily seems to do more updating of this blog is because she does. But only because I'm a lazy jackass. That, and all of our pictures are on her computer.

But that's gonna change, starting now. Emily's just emailed me a big batch of pictures of my family, so now you can read my insipid prose while looking at pictures of my dazzlingly-attractive relatives.

Here, for instance, is my father, Joe Bradley. This picture was taken, I would guess, around 1792. Maybe a little later. My dad turned 60 this year, and I suck at math.

Along the Key West Harborwalk

Okay, it's not a family member.

However, it is a manatee in the wild. We saw it yesterday in Key West.

How cool is that?

(I'll answer. Very!)

Will Cooper's 80th birthday

In this picture from 1956, you see my great-grandparents, Will and Josephine Cooper.


On the back of the photo, someone (Aunt Dorothy, I think), has written that Josephine is reading Will some of the greetings for his 80th birthday.

(I am very happy that most of my relatives -- for several generations -- have lived to see at least 80)

Some Halloween pictures

Because, um, it's March 1st?
Bradley and his brother as an enthusiastic pirate and vampire.
Emily, Halloween 1985. Colonial Lady.

I don't know where I came up with that idea. But, as I've mentioned before, some of my Halloween costumes were unusual. But my parents never suggested that we should change the outfit.