Unusual and expressive CDV-sized tintype depicting a young boy standing in a studio, confidently holding two brass instruments, one in each hand. A flugelhorn or cornet is grasped in his right, while his left hand rests on a larger keyed brass horn, which may be a keyed bugle or ophicleide. He wears a dark suit with prominent buttons and a large patterned bowtie, and stands on a patterned carpet beside tasseled studio props.

Portraits of children posed with musical instruments are always in demand, but examples featuring multiple horns are especially scarce. The image likely commemorates the boy’s participation in a local brass band or musical instruction, capturing the pride and seriousness of a young performer in the mid-19th century.