Black and white photographic bust length portrait of Madam C.J. Walker. Sitting sideways, her head is turned slightly right towards the viewer. Her gaze is to the lower right. Her hair is smooth, parted in the middle, and falls to ear length, and tucked under. She wears drop earrings and a necklace. An intricately fringed shawl is draped around her shoulders and held in place by a brooch. The bottom left quadrant of the image is partially shadowed. The photograph is surrounded by a white border with an embossed maker's mark at the bottom right. It reads "Scurlock / WASH. D.C."