A hand-coloured photograph of the Countess of Shaftesbury, a short head and shoulders portrait, seated and looking to her left. She wears a lace cap or scarf tied up. Vignette.

Lady Emily was married to Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, a British politician, philanthropist and social reformer, particlarly in the reform of lunacy laws and treatment, child and factory labour, and advocant of the return of Jews of the Holy Land, Palestine. They had ten children. Her uncle (and possibly natural father) was Lord Palmerston, Queen Victoria's Prime Minister in the early of her reign.

From a blue velvet bound album with gold coloured metal corners, with a watercolour of flowers by Princess Louise, set into front cover.