A delicate portrait from the Victorian era, this cabinet card features a young girl in a pristine white dress, her hair softly curled and tied with ribbons. Her gaze is calm—curious, perhaps—and just shy of a smile, as though she’s only pausing briefly before vanishing back into childhood dreams.
 
The card is marked by Vosburgh Studio of Austin, Minnesota, a regional photographer known for capturing quiet moments with clarity and grace. On the reverse, written faintly in old pencil, is the name:
“Mary Vanek. Albert Lea.”
 
It’s believed this is indeed Mary Vanek of Albert Lea, Minnesota—her identity marked carefully in graphite on the back of this fading image, bridging over a century of time.
 
Measures about 3.25" x 6.25"