Two men face one another across a small table, the wicker covered demijohn set between them. The sitter at left has removed his hat and holds it in his lap while his left hand steadies the bottle and presents a woman’s slipper balanced at its neck. The sitter at right remains hatted and rests a walking stick by his knee, his attention fixed on the display. A handwritten paper tag hangs from the demijohn and the insole of the slipper bears a penciled name, both meant to be read by those who knew the story. The label format resembles a shipping or consignment note and appears to include the place formula “Montreal C. E.,” the period designation for Canada East.

Studio conventions and mid century social custom suggest a conversation piece made to memorialize a private episode. Demijohns of wine or spirits regularly signaled convivial occasions in taverns and clubs, and a named slipper functioned as a humorous emblem of courtship or a night’s adventure. The calm, symmetrical pose and the careful placement of props read less as an argument and more as a staged inside joke for friends, with the tag and insole identifying the principals when the plate was shown around.

Quarter plate daguerreotype, approximately 3¼ by 4¼ inches. Likely Montreal, Canada East, circa 1850 to 1855. Further study of the tag and the slipper inscription may allow identification through Montreal directories and newspapers from the first half of the 1850s.