Cham, the celebrated French caricaturist and satirist of the Second Empire period, is portrayed in an oval vignette bust CDV by F. Mulnier, operating at 25 Boulevard des Italiens, Paris, on a distinctive yellow-bordered mount. The subject appears in middle age, facing slightly to his left, wearing a dark coat with a wide lapel and a loosely knotted cravat, his expression composed and alert. His hair is dark and neatly arranged, and a mustache and small chin beard define his features.

The yellow mount with dark border gives the card a distinctive presentation, and the Mulnier imprint on the reverse notes a Médaille d'Argent at the Exposition Universelle 1878 and designates the studio as operating an atelier spécial d'agrandissements de reproductions de toutes espèces. The oval vignette format was a preferred Mulnier presentation and appears across the studio's celebrity portrait series.

Cham (1818–1879), born Amédée de Noé, was one of the dominant figures of French graphic satire for three decades, contributing thousands of caricatures to Le Charivari and other publications. A student of Paul Delaroche, he chose illustration over painting and became celebrated for his prolific wit, his comic strips, and his political caricatures of figures from Napoleon III to Bismarck. He worked until his death and was mourned as one of the great popular artists of French public life.

The reverse bears a penciled inscription reading Cham with the full Mulnier imprint and dealer code 10/10/10 / ADDEZ / Eb.