A variant of the classic portrait of American editor and publisher Horace Greeley portrayed in a full seated CDV by Rockwood, Photographer, 839 Broadway, New York. Greley is shown in a formal studio pose in a plain chair with his hands resting in her lap. He is dressed entirely in black — a dark suit and outer garment, and a low-crowned black hat.

The plain backdrop and straightforward studio lighting are typical of Rockwood's standard portrait work of the 1860s and 1870s. The all-black costume and hat give the image a striking tonal uniformity. The partially legible name on the reverse suggests a surname ending in Greely, but the full identification cannot be confirmed from the visible inscription.

American newspaper publisher and editor Horace Greeley (February 3, 1811 – November 29, 1872) founded the New York Tribune. He served briefly as a congressman from New York and was the unsuccessful candidate of the new Liberal Republican Party in the 1872 presidential election against incumbent President Ulysses S. Grant.

The reverse bears a partially legible penciled inscription, the Rockwood studio imprint at 839 Broadway, New York, and dealer code 12/17/09 / LOAGXZ / Eb.