Woman from Marion, Ohio
Click here to view it larger.
What it is:
Cabinet card measuring 4.25 x 6.5 inches.
What I know about it:
Photographer is Vail of Marion, Ohio. (I. A. Vail? A. I. Vail? I’m not sure how to read the monogram.) Otherwise undated and unidentified.
Comments:
I did a quick Google search on the photographer and didn’t get a better handle on the name, though I did find reference to a photography establishment called Prentice & Vail in Marion, Ohio, which might be the same Vail as ours. The pretty lady pictured here looks positively aglow, and it’s an unusually sharp, clear image (at least for my collection). In fact, looking at the enlarged scan, I noticed she seems to have pierced ears, though she obviously isn’t wearing earrings here. I have to admit, though, that her upswept hair looks to me like a modern pompadour.
Pics of Then 
My first reaction was that this is a well crafted and handsome photo. She certainly has a contented and elegant air about her. My second reaction was identical to my first, making a third unnecessary.
I agree with all those reactions.
For all the forced poses and frightened looks of the era, this is just so calming
Yes, she’s the picture of calm contentment.