Five men pose outdoors before a brick building in this quarter plate, most likely dating to the 1870s or 1880s based on the style of dress, the outdoor setting, and the elaborately molded thermoplastic case housing the image. Three men stand across the back row while two are seated in front, all wearing felt and derby hats, suggesting an informal group portrait rather than a formal studio sitting. No photographer's imprint is visible.

Each of the five subjects wears a distinct hat, and all sport mustaches in the fashion of the period. The two seated men wear sack coats with visible watch chains, one with a bow tie and the other with a knotted cravat adorned with a floral pin. The standing figures wear three-piece suits with lapeled vests, and the brick facade with arched windows visible behind them suggests the group assembled outside a commercial or civic building.

The thermoplastic case is a notable object in its own right, molded on both front and back with an identical high-relief scene depicting a winged cherub restraining a recumbent stag amid scrolling acanthus, birds, and sunflower motifs at each corner. The interior mat is gilt-pressed brass with a rope-and-floral border, and the velvet pad opposite the image is deep crimson with an embroidered scrollwork medallion.

From the collection of James Lee Soffer