Portrait of a confident young inventor seated beside an intricate mechanical device, very likely a patent model, resting on a floral-covered table. The man wears a double-breasted coat, waistcoat, and cravat, and gazes directly at the camera with one hand casually resting across his lap and the other placed on the instrument beside him. His short-cropped hair and full beard align with styles seen in the late 1850s to early 1860s.

The model itself appears to be a precision machine of some type, possibly a lathe, early boring tool, or mechanical testing apparatus. It is carefully constructed with a prominent horizontal shaft, a crank mechanism, and stabilizing supports mounted to a base. The semi-arched frame above the mechanism suggests careful planning and design, indicative of an object submitted for patent approval during the period.

Large occupational ambrotypes featuring inventors with their creations are rare and highly sought after by collectors of early industrial history and photographic Americana. The subject's formal pose and proud presentation of the machine emphasize the cultural importance of invention and innovation during the Second Industrial Revolution in the United States.