The album contains 46 carte-de-visite photographs, most of which were taken by the Mexican photography studio of Cruces y Campa between 1863 and 1866 during the period known as the French Intervention when France occupied Mexico. The photographs are mostly Mexican occupational portraits, organized first by men and then women. Depicted are police officers, musicians, street vendors, and domestic workers. Also included are a portrait of a Mexican Kickapoo man and woman and five portraits of Mexican Kickapoo men.

The Mexico City photography studio, Cruces y Campa, was founded in 1862 by Antíoco Cruces and Luis Campa, an engraving professor at the Academia de San Carlos, where both men had studied. The studio was first located at Calle de San Francisco nr. 4 and later moved to Calle del Empedradillo nr. 4 next to the Metropolitan Cathedral. Cruces y Campa published their pointedly titled book of portraits of Mexican political figures, Galería de personas que han ejercido el mando supremo de México, con título legal o por medio de la usurpación, in 1874. In addition to photographing prominent members of society, the Liberal party, and the court of Maximillian, they also made occupational portraits and photographs of Mexican tipos or types. Their "Tipos populares mexicanos" series won a bronze medal at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial International Exhibition. The following year Cruces took over the firm, renaming it Cruces y Cie, and sometime later Campa opened a new studio called Campa y Compañia.

1 Linear Feet (46 cartes-de-visite in 1 album)

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