An elderly unidentified woman sits for a sixth plate daguerreotype, housed in a thermoplastic Union case embossed with a bold American eagle and shield motif set within an oval cartouche and scrolling foliate border. The photographer's imprint is not visible. The image dates to the 1850s based on the case style and the sitter's dress.

She wears a dark dress with a layered cape collar and a wide white lace fichu that descends in two panels to her waist, paired with a white lace cap tied close around her face. Thin wire-rimmed spectacles rest on her nose, and her expression is composed and direct. Her aged hands rest in her lap, holding a small ornate book, likely a prayer book or Bible, with a decorative cover clearly visible.

The thermoplastic eagle case, often called a Union case, was a distinctly American innovation of the 1850s and replaced earlier leather-covered wood cases. The case interior features a crimson velvet mat surround and a beaded gilt brass preserver framing the image.