A young child is depicted in this sixth plate daguerreotype post mortem portrait, produced during the peak era of daguerreian practice in America, approximately the 1850s. The image is housed in a leather case with a gilt mat featuring a scalloped opening and an embossed foliate border, all intact. No photographer's imprint is visible, and the maker remains unidentified.

The child is dressed in a dark garment with a lace or broderie collar and rests against an elaborately worked crocheted or lace pillow that fills much of the background. Eyes are closed, the head tilted slightly downward, and the hands are positioned in the lap holding a small pale object, possibly a flower or token. Short dark hair is visible above the forehead.

Post mortem photography was a common and accepted mourning practice throughout the nineteenth century, providing families with a lasting likeness of a child who had died, often as the only photographic record of that individual's existence. The deliberate placement of the lace pillow and the held object suggest careful preparation by both the family and the photographer.

The case exterior is leather with a red fabric lining visible at the spine. No inscription or notation is present on the mat or reverse.