An abstract view of an elaborately crafted tripod book stand bearing an open volume, almost certainly a Bible, posed in a domestic interior is the sole subject of this albumen carte-de-visite, an unusual still life document of a prized household object dating to the 1870s or 1880s. No photographer's imprint is visible on the plain green-bordered mount. The deliberate framing of the stand as the primary subject, rather than as a studio prop, suggests this was photographed as a keepsake record of a meaningful or valuable piece of furniture.

The stand is a slender turned wood tripod with three splayed legs joined by a cross-brace, a central turned column, and a circular top platform holding the open book. A carved or applied stag's head with antlers serves as a decorative element at the midpoint of the column, giving the piece a distinctly Aesthetic Movement or Eastlake character consistent with the decorative arts fashions of the 1870s. A fine chain or necklace drapes from the top platform down the column. The patterned carpet, decorative wainscoting with painted floral wallpaper above, and partial view of an upholstered chair at the right edge situate the object within a well-appointed Victorian parlor.