Cham, the French caricaturist and satirist, is portrayed in a three-quarter seated bust CDV by Disdéri, Photographe de S.M. l'Empereur, 8 Boulevard des Italiens, Paris, showing the artist in middle age in a relaxed seated pose. He wears a dark coat and waistcoat with a white shirt and cravat, and his expression is informal and slightly amused, consistent with his public reputation for wit. His dark hair is brushed back from his forehead and his features are clearly defined against a plain light studio background.

Disdéri's studio at 8 Boulevard des Italiens was the most fashionable portrait establishment in Paris during the Second Empire, holding the designation Photographe de S.M. l'Empereur, and the portrait of Cham was part of the studio's extensive series of celebrity CDVs distributed commercially throughout France and Europe. The reverse is penciled Cham (Charivari) / Cham in a collector's hand.

Cham (1818–1879), born Amédée de Noé, was a dominant figure of French graphic humor for over three decades, best known for his prolific contributions to Le Charivari. He produced thousands of caricatures, comic strips, and satirical drawings commenting on French political and social life under Louis-Philippe, the Second Republic, Napoleon III, and the early Third Republic. His visual wit and output made him the most recognized comic illustrator in France during his lifetime.

The reverse bears a penciled inscription reading Cham (Charivari) with the Disdéri studio imprint and dealer code LOBAX11 / 5/26/07 / Eb.