My mother, Brigitte Steiner, fled her native Germany for America in the 1930s. As immigrants she and her husband, Hans, overcame difficult beginnings and established successful careers. She became a successful commercial artist, best known for many collections of greeting cards signed "Bridget." Similarly, before long she became an accomplished photographer. In both areas, having neither attended art school nor studied photography with anyone, she was a natural.

After WWII she spent many summers in Europe and while traveling took pictures of its people. This book's nearly 100 color photographs are from the 1950s. She is in her 99th year.