Three men posed with a Becker's stereo viewer form the subject of this quarter plate tintype, housed in half of a thermoplastic case with an ornate gilt mat. The standing central figure wears a flat-brimmed cap, dark sack coat, and bow tie, and holds what appears to be a hand viewer upright atop the boxed stereo viewer resting on a pedestal table. The two seated men flank him symmetrically, the figure at left sporting a full curly beard and dark suit, the figure at right clean-shaven with a trimmed mustache and loosely knotted cravat.

Two hats rest on the table surface in front of the viewer, one low-crowned and one a taller felt style, while a book or plate holder sits behind the instrument. All three men wear dark frock or sack coats with visible lapels, and the seated figure at right props his chin lightly against his raised right hand.

The Becker's stereo viewer visible in the image is a tabletop cabinet model associated with American stereoview viewing in the 1860s and 1870s, making this a rare occupational-adjacent group portrait centered on photographic equipment. The thermoplastic case back features a molded medallion design with four stars, scrollwork, and a central cartouche depicting an open book above a draped table, with a circular text inscription around the border.

From the collection of James Lee Soffer