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What do you see in this photo from Barbara Bush's funeral? Four ex-presidents, four first ladies. Or something else?
Like many people, I was impressed and nostalgic when I watched Barbara Bush's funeral service this past weekend.
And I figured there would be ample opportunity at Mrs Bush's funeral for views of the former occupants of the White House to be photographed together.
And, the photo that appears to be front and centre is one taken by Paul Morse, who was a White House photographer during the George W. Bush administration. (He now specialises in weddings.)
The photo, taken behind the scenes in what seems to be an events room, shows four former presidents — both Presidents Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. They are accompanied by Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, and Melania Trump, who attended the funeral without her husband, President Donald Trump.
By the way, it is not unusual for First Ladies to represent the White House at occasions honouring former First Ladies, even though some people wondered why Trump was golfing instead of attending the funeral.
As a historian, a former White House intern and someone interested in politics, I saw so many things in this photo.
Here are things that jumped out at me.
The diversity of the 'real' America
In so many ways, this photo simply says, "America". You have whites, blacks, and a bi-racial person. You have an immigrant. You have the child of an immigrant, and the descendants of immigrants.
No, as someone pointed out, there are no Latinos in the photo, although there are Bush family members who are Latino. There are no Asians, although President Obama spent some time in South Asia.
There is geographic diversity, as well. You have four people whose youth and young adulthoods were spent in American's urban northern cities. There are five people with roots in the South (I'm including Texas in the South, although we know Texas is its own special place).
Just think, if the Carters had been able to attend, the photo really would have tilted on a southern axis. But the Northeast is represented, too, in the Bush family's love of Maine, and the New York residences of the Clintons and Mrs Trump.
There are people with rural roots. People who came from less-wealthy backgrounds and worked their way up. People who left one part of the country in search of success in another.
Cordiality is a trait of US leadership
I hadn't noticed this until a friend pointed it out, but look at the four people on the left hand side of the photo, the Bushes and the Clintons. George W. Bush has his arms around two people, while Bill Clinton is standing very close to that group, signalling that he is part of it.
To be sure, the Bushes and Clintons have become friendly since the Bushes succeeded the Clintons in the White House. But, they're also four people who lived in hospitable places, Texas and Arkansas.
It's kind of a contrast to the Obamas and Mrs Trump, although there's nothing in their bearing to show any kind of hostility, far from it. All three are smiling, as if the photographer interrupted a conversation to have them pose.
Likewise, President Bush Sr looks perfectly pleased to be there, although it is a very sad day for the family. He's pulling it together, as my late mother used to say when it was time to go out and give a speech or meet a crowd.
The non-partisanship of the good old days
This photo of Democrats and Republicans smiling together seems unusual today, but when I was growing up, you saw pictures like this all the time.
Last week, I watched a documentary on PBS Frontline about John McCain. It mentioned that although he was a conservative from Arizona, he was an active participant in bi-partisan efforts to pass important legislation.
That's the GOP that I grew up in, and which apparently no longer exists, much to my regret and that of people who would still like to play a role in elective politics.
If you ever wondered what those days were like, this photo represents them beautifully.
Respect still exists in rough times
There were many images from Mrs Bush's funeral that bore this out, but one thing they all had in common was that people were appropriately dressed and comported themselves perfectly.
If they hadn't, there might have been a lightning bolt from the skies sent by Mrs Bush.
Look across this group. The women are in modest dresses and suits, nothing too short or tight. The men are in suits and ties. This is how you dress for an important occasion.
And you don't dress this way to make a style statement. You dress this way to show respect for the dead, and for the living.
I'm going to keep this photo in my iPhone archive and take a look at it, whenever the climate in Washington gets too turbulent, and my hopes for the future are shaking.
This world — the world I grew up in — still exists, and this photo proves it. Someday, I hope this photo will no longer seem like a rarity, but the way we've become, again.
Micheline Maynard is an author and journalist. Twitter: @mickimaynard
Topics: history, government-and-politics, world-politics, donald-trump, obama-barack, united-states
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