Major Atom, identified by printed title on the mount face and confirmed by a period inscription on the reverse, stands atop a carved pedestal table beside a seated woman in this CDV produced by Charles Eisenmann at 229 Bowery, New York. Eisenmann was the preeminent photographer of sideshow and dime museum performers in the late nineteenth century, and this image belongs to his well-documented series of portraits made for sale as souvenirs and promotional cards. The subject's small stature relative to his companion establishes his identity as a little person performer working the New York entertainment circuit.

Major Atom wears a double-breasted dark suit with a white shirt front and a small medal or pin at his chest, and holds a top hat at his side. The woman beside him is dressed in a fitted dark bustle-era gown with lace collar, brooch, and tiered ruffled skirt, her hair arranged in an upswept style. An ornate Aesthetic-movement cabinet and a painted studio staircase prop frame the composition on either side.

Major Atom was a well-known little person performer who appeared regularly at New York dime museums and variety venues during the 1880s and 1890s, frequently photographed by Eisenmann for the souvenir trade.

The reverse bears a pencil inscription reading "Major Atom age 15" and a printed Chas. Eisenmann imprint with address 229 Bowery, New York. Catalog notations "8/08/15" and "D0A3X7" appear at the lower reverse.