An unidentified woman is portrayed in this ninth-plate daguerreotype, presented in a half-case format with a gilt thermoplastic mat framing the image within a cartouche-shaped opening. The image is vignetted, a less common treatment for the format, and the photographer's imprint is absent. The use of a plaid fabric as a studio backdrop is distinctly unusual and gives the portrait a strikingly textured visual field behind the sitter.

The woman wears a patterned dark bodice with floral or foliate print, a white collar at the throat, and a dotted ribbon bow tied at the neckline. Her dark hair is parted at center and pulled back close to the head. She holds what appears to be a light-colored object, possibly a handkerchief, folded in her lap, and her expression is direct and composed.

The black leatherette case has gold-ruled border detailing and a brass filigree clasp with a fleur-de-lis style finial. The interior lid is lined with deep crimson velvet, and the inner frame surrounding the mat is covered in salmon-toned material with an embossed gilt decorative border.