A matched pair of carte-de-visite albumen photographs depicting the same man in studio portrait format, one posed operating a stereo camera mounted on a tripod and the other a straightforward standing portrait. In both images the subject wears a dark coat and bowler-style hat, with neatly groomed facial hair, presented against a plain studio backdrop. The format, mounts, and photographic style are consistent with American CDV production of the 1860s. No photographer’s imprint is visible on either mount.

The verso inscriptions identify the subject as Robert S. Sturgis, a Philadelphia photographer. Sturgis is documented as an early member of the Photographic Society of Philadelphia, placing him within the professional photographic community of the city during the formative years of organized photographic practice in the United States. The inclusion of the stereo camera in one view is a deliberate occupational statement, directly linking the sitter to photographic trade practice and to the popularity of stereoscopic photography during this period.

Both cards retain plain mounts without printed advertising backs. The handwritten identifications on the versos are the sole attribution present and form the basis for the identification of the sitter. Together, the pair functions as a rare self-representational study of a working nineteenth-century photographer, combining a formal portrait with an explicit depiction of professional equipment and practice.