Four men seated around a small table mid-game make this ninth plate tintype one of the most animated genre scenes to survive in the cased format, likely produced in the 1860s by an unidentified photographer. The casual, unguarded quality of the composition suggests a studio willing to stage recreational subjects at a time when such images were uncommon. No photographer's imprint is visible on the mat or case.

Each man holds a fan of playing cards, and at least two have cigars clenched between their teeth, smoke-ready and mid-deal. The two figures on the left wear dark sack coats with loosened cravats, while the younger man opposite sports a wide white neckerchief draped open at the collar. A bottle or glass vessel sits at the center of the table among scattered cards, reinforcing the convivial atmosphere. Expressions range from focused to relaxed, with no subject posing formally for the camera.

Card-playing genre tintypes were staged curiosities in the Civil War era, appealing to a market interested in masculine leisure and fraternal camaraderie rather than the conventional portrait. The open case reveals an embossed rust-colored velvet pad opposite the image, and the exterior thermoplastic case bears an ornate repeating foliate design on both covers with a brass hook clasp at the spine. A handwritten paper note affixed inside the cover reads: "Foursome Card Players Cigar Smokers."

From the collection of James Lee Soffer