L. D. Sine, identified by printed text on the reverse, is depicted in this albumen carte-de-visite produced by Howland of 170 West 5th Street, Cincinnati, Ohio, likely in the late 1850s or 1860s consistent with the mount style and studio address. Sine sits in three-quarter pose in an ornately carved parlor chair, his eyes closed, reflecting the total blindness described on the reverse as resulting from a premature powder explosion in 1851. The photograph was clearly intended as a promotional card distributed alongside his Gift Enterprise business circulars.

He wears a dark frock coat over a white shirt with a bow tie, and holds a decorative handled umbrella or parasol across his lap while a cane rests against the chair beside him. Stacked books occupy a draped side table to his left, and a heavy curtain anchors the upper background.

The reverse text identifies Sine as the pioneer of Gift Enterprises, noting he lost his sight at age twenty-two and entered the Gift Enterprise business in 1854, operating under P.O. Box 710, Cincinnati, Ohio. The printed biographical notice explicitly references this photograph as proof of his blindness, making this CDV a direct advertising instrument.

The recto bears a handwritten ink inscription reading "Howland / 170 W 5th St / Cin. O" identifying the studio.