Andy McNeel, an unidentified African American man recorded by manuscript inscription on the reverse with what appears to be prisoner number 22720. He stands barefoot in worn work clothes in this stark cabinet card prison portrait, made to document an incarcerated man rather than celebrate him. The high prisoner number could suggest a large state penitentiary, and the subject's recorded name and number on the reverse indicate this was made as part of an institutional identification system. No photographer's imprint is visible and the specific institution has not been confirmed.

McNeel stands in a loose unbleached pullover shirt with ragged cuffs, heavily worn dark trousers torn at the knee and rolled at the ankle, and no shoes. A battered wide-brimmed hat sits on his head and a folded cloth or rag hangs from his waistband. He faces the camera directly with a steady, unselfconscious expression. A decorative painted studio backdrop with architectural elements is visible behind him, indicating he was brought to a commercial or institutional studio rather than photographed in a cell.

The reverse carries the manuscript inscription "Andy McNeel 22720" in a single flowing hand. No photographer's imprint is present on the plain mount.