An elderly man commands this ninth plate ambrotype, seated and turned slightly to his right in a three-quarter pose that brings deep-set eyes and heavily lined features into strong relief. The process and the subject's advanced age suggest a date in the 1850s to early 1860s, a period when ambrotypes largely supplanted daguerreotypes in American portrait studios. No photographer's imprint is visible on the case or mat.

The subject wears a dark wool coat over a white shirt with a small bow tie visible at the collar, his broad shoulders filling much of the oval mat opening. His white hair is receded to the crown, and his expression is solemn and direct. The wooden chair back is partially visible at his right side.

The image is housed in a leather case lined with red fabric, and the plate is set behind a gilt oval mat with an embossed foliate border on the inner frame. This portrait is identified in notes as a depiction of an African American man, a designation that reflects the subject's physical appearance and aligns with the visible image.

The case measures ninth plate size. No photographer's imprint is present.