![](/media/images/mothersday2_525_525.jpg)
The Dionne Quintuplets — Five of a Kind, 1938
Before everyone had cameras, the baby picture was the purview of Mom and Dad. Among so many other things, we have them to thank for remembering to capture us as we once were: smaller, rounder, goofier, balder. (Although, in some cases, less bald.)
"Diaper backward spells repaid," the distinguished social critic Marshall McLuhan once observed. And who are we to argue with that?
Today, in honor of Mother's Day, we've gathered some of our favorite images from an earlier era — before apps and tags, when pools had nothing to do with Flickr. Some came to us with the scalloped edges redolent of the early Sixties, while others arrived indelibly tinged with the citrus hues from the earth-tone-Seventies. People from all over the world sent in school snapshots, dog-eared wallet photos, and faded Polaroids, all offering solid evidence of the degree to which we all made atrocious wardrobe choices. (Come to think of it, maybe that was Mom and Dad's purview, too.) Throughout the images that follow are striking similarities between then and now — a preserved jawline, an enduring smirk — and just as many surprising differences. (See "balder," above.)
Every last one of us began as a tinier version of what we are now, and if ever there was a moment to stop and consider that fact, today is it: the day we remember our dear Mothers, who sacrificed their sleep and their waistlines and so much more.
Thank you, mothers of design people. And Happy Mother's Day to all.
![](/media/images/antonio_alcala_525.jpg)
Antonio Alcalá
![](/media/images/baby_1_525.jpg)
Sean Adams
![](/media/images/deborah_adler_525.jpg)
Deborah Adler
![Keira Alexandra](/media/images/keira_alexandra_525.jpg)
Keira Alexandra
![Mariana Amatullo](/media/images/mariana_amatullo_525.jpg)
Mariana Amatullo
![](/media/images/baby_22_525.jpg)
Gail Anderson
![](/media/images/baby_33_525.jpg)
Paola Antonelli
![Allison Arieff](/media/images/allison_arieff-baby_525.jpg)
Allison Arieff
![](/media/images/Baby_4_525.jpg)
Eric Baker
![](/media/images/jim_biber_525.jpg)
James Biber
![](/media/images/baby_5_525.jpg)
John Bielenberg
![Michael Bierut](/media/images/Michael-Bierut-baby_525.jpg)
Michael Bierut
![Teddy Blanks](/media/images/teddy_baby_525.jpg)
Teddy Blanks
![Gaby Brink](/media/images/Gaby-Brink_baby_525.jpg)
Gaby Brink
![Tim Brown](/media/images/tim-brown-baby_525.jpg)
Tim Brown
![Stefan Bucher](/media/images/stefan_bucher_525.jpg)
Stefan Bucher
![](/media/images/baby_6_525.jpg)
Ralph Caplan
![Allan Chochinov](/media/images/allan_chochinov_525.jpg)
Allan Chochinov
![](/media/images/baby_7_525.jpg)
Seymour Chwast
![](/media/images/baby_8_525.jpg)
Beatriz Cifuentes
![Elaine Lustig Cohen](/media/images/Elaine-Lustig-Cohen-baby_525.jpg)
Elaine Lustig Cohen
![Nancy Sharon Collins](/media/images/nancy_sharon_collins-baby_525.jpg)
Nancy Sharon Collins
![](/media/images/denise_crsp_525.jpg)
Denise Gonzales Crisp
![](/media/images/baby_10_525.jpg)
Liz Danzico
![Nathalie Destandau](/media/images/Nathalie-Destandau-baby_525.jpg)
Nathalie Destandau
![Stephen Doyle](/media/images/stephen_doyle_525.jpg)
Stephen Doyle
![](/media/images/baby_12_525.jpg)
William Drenttel
![](/media/images/baby_13.jpg)
Arem Duplessis
![](/media/images/baby_14_525.jpg)
![Tina Roth Eisenberg](/media/images/Tina-Roth-Eisenberg-baby_525.jpg)
Tina Roth Eisenberg
![](/media/images/baby_15_525.jpg)
Mark English
![](/media/images/baby_16_525.jpg)
Nancy Essex
![Louise Fili](/media/images/louise_fili_525.jpg)
Louise Fili
![](/media/images/Baby_17_525.jpg)
Karin Fong
![](/media/images/baby_18_525.jpg)
John Foster
![Milton Glaser](/media/images/milton_Baby_525.jpg)
Milton Glaser
![](/media/images/Barbara-Glauber_525.jpg)
Barbara Glauber
![](/media/images/carin_goldberg_525.jpg)
Carin Goldberg
![](/media/images/baby_19_525.jpg)
Bryony Gomez-Palacio
![](/media/images/baby_20_525.jpg)
Ric Grefé
![](/media/images/stanley_hainsworth_525.jpg)
Stanley Hainsworth
![](/media/images/baby_34_525.jpg)
Sylvia Harris
![Jessica Helfand](/media/images/baby_21_525.jpg)
Jessica Helfand
![Steve Heller](/media/images/steve_heller_525.jpg)
Steve Heller
![](/media/images/gary_hustwit_525.jpg)
Gary Hustwit
![](/media/images/baby_23_525.jpg)
Alexander Isley
![Meena Kadri](/media/images/meena_kadri-baby_525.jpg)
Meena Kadri
![](/media/images/baby_24_525.jpg)
Ethel Kessler
![](/media/images/baby_25_525.jpg)
Chip Kidd
![Alex Knowlton](/media/images/alex_knowlton_baby_525.jpg)
Alex Knowlton
![Alexandra Lange](/media/images/alexandra_lange_525.jpg)
Alexandra Lange
![Julie Lasky](/media/images/julie_lasky_525.jpg)
Julie Lasky
![](/media/images/nancy_levinson_525.jpg)
Nancy Levinson
![Debbie Millman](/media/images/debbie_millman_2_525.jpg)
Debbie Millman
![](/media/images/kali_nikitas_baby_525.jpg)
Kali Nikitas
![](/media/images/baby_11_525.jpg)
Derry Noyes
![](/media/images/baby_9_525.jpg)
Clive Piercy
![Emily Pilloton](/media/images/emily_pilloton_baby_525.jpg)
Emily Pilloton
![](/media/images/baby_26_525.jpg)
Rocco Piscatello
![](/media/images/baby_27_525.jpg)
Hank Richardson
![](/media/images/laurie_rosenwald_525.jpg)
Laurie Rosenwald
![Jason Santa Maria](/media/images/Jason-Santa-Maria_525.jpg)
Jason Santa Maria
![](/media/images/baby_28_525.jpg)
Louise Sandhaus
![](/media/images/baby_29_525.jpg)
Paula Scher
![](/media/images/adrian_shaughnessy_525.jpg)
Adrian Shaughnessy
![Bonnie Siegler](/media/images/bonnie_siegler_525.jpg)
Bonnie Siegler
![](/media/images/baby_30_525.jpg)
Brian Singer
![Nancy Skolos](/media/images/nancy_skolos_525.jpg)
Nancy Skolos
![](/media/images/andrew_sloat_525.jpg)
Andrew Sloat
![](/media/images/baby_31_525.jpg)
Matt Soar — Photo credit: David Ward, Studio Six and a Half
![](/media/images/baby_32_525.jpg)
Erik Spiekermann
![Todd St. John](/media/images/todd_st_john.jpg)
Todd St. John
![John Thackara](/media/images/john_thackara_525.jpg)
John Thackara
![Massimo Vignelli](/media/images/baby-massimo_525.jpg)
Massimo Vignelli
![Khoi Vinh](/media/images/khoi-vinh_baby_525.jpg)
Khoi Vinh
![Carol Wahler](/media/images/Carol-Wahler_baby_525.jpg)
Carol Wahler
![Josh Wallaert](/media/images/josh_wallaert_525.jpg)
Josh Wallaert
Comments [7]
Thanks.
05.08.11
11:07
Thanks Jessica.
05.09.11
08:29
"taxi!"
05.09.11
11:23
05.09.11
12:01
Here is a little music to go with the photographs from the 1963 LP Introducing the Beatles.
Happy Mother’s Day.
05.10.11
08:39
05.10.11
06:36
Oh, if only they could stay that age forever.
Which age is that?
05.11.11
09:30