Abraham Lincoln is portrayed in a three-quarter length standing view in this CDV published by E. & H.T. Anthony, 501 Broadway, New York, printed from a photographic negative taken by Brady's National Portrait Gallery January 8, 1864, one of the most historically significant publishing relationships in American photography. The combination of Mathew Brady's negatives and Anthony's distribution network made this among the most widely circulated series of Lincoln portraits produced during the war years.

Lincoln stands with one hand behind his back and the other relaxed at his side, wearing a dark double-breasted frock coat over a waistcoat with a visible watch chain, white shirt, and loosely knotted bow tie. His considerable height and angular frame are fully evident in the long-coated silhouette, and his deep-set eyes, short beard, and slightly disheveled dark hair are sharply rendered. A draped curtain appears at left against an open tonal background.

Mathew Brady's National Portrait Gallery was the preeminent photographic studio of the Civil War era, and E. & H.T. Anthony served as the principal publisher and distributor of Brady's negatives in CDV format, reaching a national audience hungry for images of Lincoln and other wartime figures. CDVs bearing the Anthony and Brady imprint together are among the most sought-after Lincoln photographic artifacts.

The reverse bears the decorative printed imprint of E. & H.T. Anthony, 501 Broadway, New York, with the notation "From Photographic Negative in Brady's National Portrait Gallery."