September 1957. "The Willis Cooper family on the front porch of their farmhouse near Radcliffe, Iowa, surrounded by animals and foods." 35mm color transparency from photos by Jim Hansen for the Look magazine assignment "Iowa family." View full size.

August 1957. New York. "Up-to-date wardrobe -- men's fashions." Medium format negative from photos for the Look magazine assignment "Is Your Wardrobe Up-to-Date?" View full size.

September 9, 1957. "Mrs. Willis Cooper baking and canning in the kitchen of her farmhouse near Radcliffe, Iowa." Color transparency from photos by Jim Hansen for the Look magazine assignment "Iowa family." View full size.

May 1940. "Planting corn using listing method. Western Iowa. Monona County." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Resettlement Administration. View full size.

June 1941. "Mr. Lloyd Lewis, Greene County ordinary, in his office in Greensboro, Georgia." Medium format negative by Jack Delano for the Resettlement Administration. View full size.

June 1941. "Eating a five-cent hot lunch at the Woodville public school. Greene County, Georgia." Happy Thanksgiving from Shorpy! Photo by Jack Delano. View full size.

April 1940. "Catholic church and schoolyard. Dubuque, Iowa." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Resettlement Administration. View full size.

April 1940. "Victorian house. Dubuque, Iowa." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Resettlement Administration. View full size.

April 1940. "Earl May seed store in Marshalltown, Iowa." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Resettlement Administration. View full size.

April 1940. "Earl May seed store. Marshalltown, Iowa." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Resettlement Administration. View full size.

That's what I like to imagine my future-brother-in-law was telling me as the showdown is about to come in our poker hand here in the living room of our home in Larkspur, California. The "shut up" part was, of course, something I was familiar with hearing often enough from others in non-wagering situations. At my side I had a glass with a finger of root beer, playing the part of whiskey, to emulate (pay homage to?) the saloon scenes in the old cowboy movies I'd watch on TV Saturday mornings. He became my brother-in-law in actuality two years later, and passed away just two months ago. Rest in peace, old friend. My sister took this 2¼" square Kodacolor negative. View full size.

April 1940. Click. Another selfie of photographer John Vachon, last seen here, in the mirror of his Dubuque hotel room in bed in his stripey PJ's. View full size.

April 1940. "Lady signaling operator on old-style telephone. Scranton, Iowa." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Resettlement Administration. View full size.

April 1940. "Home in Scranton, Iowa. Closing sliding door to little-used parlor." Medium format acetate negative by John Vachon for the Resettlement Administration. View full size.

April 1940. "Abandoned boat along Mississippi River waterfront. Dubuque, Iowa." Photobomb by the A.A. Cooper Wagon & Buggy Co. Acetate negative by John Vachon. View full size.