Rev. James N. Cornelison sits in the doorway of a house. He sits at ease petting a large spotted dog. He is dressed in a suit with open jacket, vest, fold-down collar, and plaid bow tie, and appears to be wearing cowboy boots. He has a mustache and short beard. His legs are crossed and partially obscured by a plaid blanket, half of which lies in a heap at his feet. Next to it on the Reverend's right is a small pile of kindling and a chopped log. Behind him in the interior of the dwelling stands a table with turned legs, on which are piled a number of books. A cord or rope lies on the ground next to the dog.
A wood-framed structure, covered with a striped tent cloth, appears to have three wooden walls and a wooden floor. From the open side, one can see that the tent structure is filled with an assortment of Native American objects and artifacts, suspended from the walls and crossbeam, set on a table, and arranged on the floor in front of the back wall. There is a sign on the tent that says "Major Moorhouse's Indian Pictures." The inventory includes: blankets and other woven textiles; photographs, some framed; beaded bags; baskets; a cradleboard; a saddle and bridle; tomahawks; bow and arrows in a quiver; a buckskin dress with beaded fringe; a beaded buckskin shirt and pants, a pair of beaded moccasins, and a feathered cape, displayed together as an ensemble; a small statue of a Native American man, wearing a feathered robe and headdress, a shell necklace, a beaded breastplate, and beaded moccasins; more feathered headdresses and other feathered and beaded items; a pair of beaded gloves; a beaded necklace; a pile of fur (under the table).