A bearded workman stands full-length before a painted studio backdrop in this sixth-plate tintype, formatted and trimmed to CDV size for album use, dating most likely to the 1870s or early 1880s. The subject faces the camera directly with a confident, wide-legged stance, holding his trade tools prominently forward as the clear focal point of the composition. No photographer's imprint is present.

He wears a flat-brimmed workman's cap pushed back on his forehead, a button-front vest over a white collarless work shirt with sleeves rolled to the forearm, and heavy work trousers with low-cut leather shoes. In his raised right hand he grips a claw hammer head-up, while his left hand holds what appears to be a flat pry bar or chisel, suggesting a carpenter or general tradesman. His full reddish beard and mustache are neatly grown and a notable feature of his appearance.

The deliberate display of tools was a common occupational pride convention in working-class portraiture of this period, and the outdoor-ground texture visible at the subject's feet suggests the photograph may have been taken in an outdoor or semi-open setting rather than a fully enclosed studio.

No photographer's imprint or inscription is present on the reverse. The image measures CDV size.

From the collection of James Lee Soffer