A young man holding a large banjo stands in a full-length studio pose in this cabinet card by Tennant, with studio locations in Haverhill and P.O. Block, Lowell, Massachusetts, dating to the 1880s or early 1890s. The elaborate painted backdrop, patterned carpet, and ornate studio props place this among the more fully appointed studio productions of the period, and the prominent display of the instrument identifies this as a deliberate occupational or musical portrait.

The subject stands with his left elbow resting on a decorative carved mantelpiece, holding a large open-back banjo by the neck at his right side with the head resting on the floor. He wears a dark three-button sack suit with matching waistcoat, a white shirt, and a necktie, his dark hair neatly parted and a trimmed mustache visible. A small medal or badge is visible on his lapel. The painted backdrop depicts an elaborate interior with arched columns, decorative friezes, and a large urn with foliage at right.

The banjo itself is clearly rendered with a large circular open-back head with a decorative notched tension ring, a fretted neck with visible tuning pegs, and an inlaid headstock, consistent with instruments produced by American makers during the height of the banjo's popularity in parlor and minstrel entertainment during the 1880s. The subject is unidentified.