A seated woman and young girl occupy the foreground of this quarter plate daguerreotype, almost certainly dating to the early-to-mid 1850s based on the woman's dress silhouette and case style. The photographer or an unidentified man appears partially visible at the right edge of the frame, apparently having positioned himself behind the subjects just before exposure, a deliberate or opportunistic intrusion that gives this image unusual documentary character. No photographer's imprint is visible on the case or plate.

The woman wears a dark floral-printed dress with full sleeves, white lace collar, and white cuffs folded at the wrist, her hands resting in her lap around a folded cloth. The girl stands at her side wearing a striped dress with tiered skirt and a white pinafore apron, her hair parted at the center and falling loose to her shoulders. The partially visible male figure at right wears a dark coat and white cravat, his face turned slightly toward the camera.

The composition is framed beneath a gilt arched mat, seated within a textured gilt preserver. The leather case features embossed floral and scroll designs on both covers, with a red embossed velvet pad on the interior left panel.