3 Introduction to the Miriam Cassirer Laparne Album Miriam Laparne (ne Miriam Cassirer) lives in Seattle.  Miriam writes: “I  was  born  on February  2  1936  @  St. Gertrudes  hospital.  My  mother  said  Jewish women   had  to  walk  downstairs  to  the  delivery  room!!  That  was my  beginning!! ” Miriam’s mother Johanna Cassirer (ne Baron) married Dr Rudolph Walter Cassirer, a “Versicherungsmakler” [Insurance Broker] who dealt with English companies such as Loyds of London and was fluent in English (although, as his son Ernest says, that did not equate with lack of a German accent). Johanna had Alzheimer’s disease in later life and wrote the names of members of the family on the back of family photographs in order to help her remember. These then provide to some extent a “Rosetta Stone” for this part of the family. Miriam is currently in poor health, but if anything that has focussed her attention on the importance of making these photographs available to others.  Her generosity and committment in making these available here is acknowledged with very great grattitude.