PICTURE THE PAST: 1900-1915

A lightweight reminiscence of early 20th century small town life, built around a collection of old glass plate negatives owned by the Dom family of Red Bank, New Jersey and reprinted here in nostalgic-looking sepia tones. The photos are mildly interesting as a group and include views of a shoemaker, general store, ice racing machine, delivery wagon and old fire engine but they have no particular focus, and Johnson's slight essays--on old iron toys, flivver jokes, home health care, fashions and dime novels don't give them any added heft. (Adult readers will note that many of the customs remembered here--houses with only one upstairs bathroom, the Palmer penmanship method, unhomogenized milk in bottles, women's hats--survived long after the period at hand.) In all, a pleasant recollection but not substantial enough to be a magnet for browsers or students.