A middle-aged man seated before a large American flag fills this sixth plate tintype, a boldly patriotic compositional choice that sets the image apart from conventional studio portraiture of the period. The tintype is housed in an ornate gilt mat with a beaded and foliate border, set within a leather case bearing an embossed medallion and scrollwork pattern on both covers. No photographer's imprint is visible.

The subject wears a dark double-breasted suit coat over a matching vest with visible buttons, a white shirt, and a necktie, with a watch chain looped across the vest front. A flat-brimmed cap with a stiff visor sits squarely on his head, suggesting a working or uniformed profession such as a railroad man, mariner, or civil official. He sits with both hands resting on his knees, his expression direct and composed, a trimmed mustache and goatee framing a strong jaw.

The flag behind him spans the full width of the image, its stars and stripes clearly rendered, and the deliberate staging against it signals personal or civic pride rather than incidental studio decoration. The red velvet padded interior of the case lid carries an embossed scrollwork pattern in the same floral and acanthus style as the exterior.

From the collection of James Lee Soffer