Oval-matted quarter plate tintype showing an African American boy posed between two white women, in a studio setting with a painted outdoor backdrop. The boy is seated at center, wearing a jacket, bow tie, and boldly striped stockings. The women flank him—one older, dressed in dark clothing, and the other younger, in a straw hat and ribboned dress—forming a carefully balanced group portrait with notable social and visual contrast.

By the 1870s, tintypes had become the most accessible portrait process in America, but mixed-group images of this nature are uncommon, particularly when the African American sitter is placed in a central, individualized role. The oval brass mat and elaborately stamped preserver indicate a photographer catering to a middle-class clientele who still preferred a cased presentation.

The plate shows typical surface wear, light abrasions, and small emulsion losses but retains strong contrast and detail.