This colorful drawing is one page selected from the seven volumes of drawing books of Bertha Louise Cogswell (1868-1962) that were recently acquired by the Massachusetts Historical Society. Throughout the 155 pages of pencil and crayon drawings, the young artist depicts her life in Cambridge, Mass., including games, parties, holidays, social calls, and travel (see the web presentation of drawing book volume 6, page 13). The pictures, captioned in pencil, unfold as a kind of illustrated diary in several sequential panels per page. If Bertha was between the ages of 8 and 12 when she illustrated her books, they date from sometime between 1876 and 1880.

The vibrantly colored pictures portray Bertha's daily activities with friends and family. Examples of captions include: "In the evening," "At the party," "Going to school," and "Playing with our [trundle] hoops." Particularly striking are her drawings of Christmas celebrations, Fourth of July parades, and weddings. Furnishings, decorations, and toys are recorded in remarkable detail. She also illustrates a trip to the White Mountains in New Hampshire to see the Flume Gorge and the Old Man in the Mountain, and another to the geysers at Saratoga Springs, New York.

Bertha's friends May and Lizzie play a starring role in the stories, along with a few other recurring characters. In volume 3, set in approximately 1879, a woman named Mrs. Ward has a fainting fit (the caption reads: "Mrs. Ward has fainted away"), and the doctor diagnoses her with rheumatic fever. Later panels show Mrs. Ward as she is carried downstairs, recuperates in a reclining chair, walks outdoors, and eventually moves in with her sister.

What makes Bertha's drawings unique is not just the insight they provide into the life of a young girl in late 19th-century Massachusetts. While they contain many details of Victorian fashion (at 11, she gets her ears "bored," or pierced) and recreation (including sledding, beachcombing, and playing croquet), they also depict Bertha's aspirations and expectations for her future life. In volumes 4-7, she draws herself at the ages of 17, 20, 23, and 26. She imagines herself marrying; raising four children named George, Mabel, Arthur, and Alice; and participating in charitable work.