Two bearded men seated side by side fill this sixth plate daguerreotype, housed in a leather case with an embossed scrollwork and urn motif cover trimmed in gilt brass edging. The consignor identifies the figure at right as John Wise, the noted American aeronaut, based on comparison with a known published portrait of him. Both subjects wear dark frock coats, and the man at left sports a loosely knotted cravat and a small pin or medal on his lapel, while the man at right wears a patterned bow tie over a white shirt front, his right hand resting open across his knee. The plate is held in a gilded mat within a beaded brass preserver.

John Wise (February 24, 1808, possibly died September 28, 1879) was one of the most prominent figures in nineteenth-century American ballooning, logging more than 400 flights and pioneering innovations in balloon design. His balloon the Jupiter completed the first official US airmail delivery run in 1859, carrying 123 letters for the Post Office. The consignor has included a printed Wikipedia reference page and a comparative portrait supporting the proposed identification.

The lot is accompanied by a printed research sheet identifying the subject and a photographic comparison image.