CDV close portrait of American author Henry Wadsworth Longfellow bearing the imprint of Warren, 465 Washington Street, Boston, presents the poet in a frontal bust composition that emphasizes the iconic whiteness of his full beard and long flowing hair in his final years. Longfellow faces nearly straight toward the camera, his beard spreading broadly across the lower frame, his eyes pale and direct beneath heavy brows. He wears a dark coat with wide lapels and a white shirt, the composition vignetting softly at the shoulders.

The image is an albumen print on plain card stock, the Warren studio imprint appearing in red ink on the reverse. The reverse also carries a red-ink inscription that reads "465 Washington Street, Boston" alongside a penciled notation reading "Longfellow" at the top, with dealer code "DCAEXZ 99."

Warren's studio at 465 Washington Street was among Boston's prominent photographic establishments during the 1870s and early 1880s, well positioned to document the city's celebrated literary community. Longfellow (1807–1882) lived in Cambridge throughout his mature career, and Boston-area studios including Warren produced portrait CDVs of him that circulated widely among American collectors and admirers of his poetry.