Quarter plate ambrotype depicting an itinerant broom maker seated atop a fully loaded horse-drawn wagon, photographed outdoors and presented as a working occupational portrait rather than a studio conceit. The wagon is densely packed with merchandise: a large rack of finished straw brooms standing upright at the rear, multiple burlap sacks likely containing broom corn or binding materials, and a half barrel secured upside down, consistent with period storage for trade goods or supplies. The careful organization of the cargo indicates a mobile workshop and sales operation rather than simple transport.

The subject’s posture and placement atop the wagon reinforce his role as proprietor and tradesman, not merely a driver. This was a viable mid-19th-century occupation; broom making was a skilled, independent trade, and itinerant broom makers traveled rural routes selling directly to households and farms. The image documents a complete self-contained business model on wheels, making it an important occupational and economic record of antebellum rural commerce.

The ambrotype captures fine structural detail in the wagon, wheels, broom heads, and bundled goods, with strong tonal separation typical of mid-1850s outdoor ambrotypes. Housed in a period case (as shown), with visible wear consistent with age but no distracting losses to the image area. An uncommon and highly desirable subject, combining transportation, trade, and vernacular American labor history in a single, well-composed plate.