Antoine Claudet, a French-born daguerreotypist and student of Louis Daguerre, was among the first commercial portrait photographers to operate in London. He established his first daguerreotype studio in 1841 on the roof of the Adelaide Gallery, on the Strand. This sixth-plate daguerreotype, bearing the studio's distinctive crown-topped gilt badge on the leather case, presents a half-length portrait of an unidentified gentleman and dates to the Adelaide Gallery period of 1841 to 1851.

The subject is seated in a three-quarter turn, wearing a dark frock coat over a boldly striped waistcoat left open at the chest, with a voluminous patterned cravat tied in a large bow at the throat. Round wire-rimmed spectacles rest low on the bridge of his nose, and his dark hair falls loosely to either side of his face. His right arm rests at the lower edge of the frame, and his gaze is directed slightly downward and away from the lens, lending the portrait an air of quiet authority.

Claudet's Adelaide Gallery proved to be the most popular daguerreotype studio in England during its time. His improved sensitizing process reduced exposure times considerably, allowing his subjects to appear more natural in comparison to daguerreotypes produced by contemporaries. The leather case retains its original red velvet interior and gilt-brass mat, and the case exterior bears the embossed gold oval badge reading "Claudet's Daguerreotype Process, Adelaide Gallery, Strand," surmounted by a royal crown.

The plate is a sixth plate as stated.