Lisa’s 4th birthday in 1974 was captured in two simple photographs that still feel extraordinary nearly 50 years later. Lisa is at the table, behind a small cake glowing with candles. She holds her doll, a Baby That-A-Way, close as if to share the moment. The light of the flames casts a circle on her face, pulling our eyes straight to her joy, while the rest of the room fades into shadow. Through the doorway we catch a glimpse of the an afghan and presents. If the afghan doesn’t take you back I don’t know what will. 

What makes these pictures so beautiful is not perfection but memory itself. The warm tones of 1970s film, the soft blur, and the dim corners all remind us of a time that was far less performative than life is today.