Early in the 20th Century, Eastman Kodak produced a camera and film that allowed the photographer to make notes on the film immediately after it had been exposed. The resulting images would display the photographers' script on the face of the print. Kodak marketed these cameras and films as "Autographics".

Todd's grandparents lived in rural Wisconsin. As a youngster, he was fascinated by the old family photographs that his grandparents had from this era and how they kept them. His grandmother's photographs were in the front of the family bible. Her photographs were of family members and the notes written on them recounted basic facts of their lives.

Todd's grandfather was a country doctor and a devoted photo hobbyist. He kept pictures in an old album, some affixed to the pages and some not. His photographs weren't limited to relatives or even people but contained a wide array of subject matter. Todd thought the text of his grandfather's "autographics" were more interesting than those of his grandmother's. Often, slipped between the pages were old newspaper articles or postcards that related to his pictures of the places he and his grandmother had traveled. One of his favorite destinations was the southern United States. 

After working as a photographer for more than 30 years, Todd began to compile photographic images into a journal that combined many of the elements of his grandparents' albums. The major difference is that Todd lives in the south, the land of his grandparents' dreams. He says he constantly is faced with his history and theirs -- as a tourist, visitor, and foreigner -- in the region of the country where he has lived for over 35 years.