Datering er basert på hans adresse på etikett. Adresse som på etikett bak, benyttes fra mail 1843 - november 1844. Dated on the bases of label at the back.

Portrett av sorenskriver i Nedre Telemark Jonas Wessel født Olsen (1766-1851) sittende med begge hender på en stokk. Fotografert 2-3 uker før hans død 86 år gammel i Bjørndaleg gård ved Porsgrunn. Portrait of Jonas Wessel born Olsen (1781-1851) sitting with both hands resting on a walking stick. Photographed just 2-3 weeks before his death, 86 years old. He lived and died on the farm Bjørndalen near Porsgrunn, Telemark.

Johan Gørbitz could have made a selfportrait despite his advanced age. He could also have collaborated with Johan v. d. Fehr who in 1853 learnt to make daguerreotypes from him. Another possible photographer is Norway's first female photographer Henrietta Homann who also learnt from him and probably owned that image. His cheeks are coloured reddish. The housing had probably been seriously damaged and the painted glass replaced at some point.

Glass knust. Glas is broken.

There is a silk ribbon inside the the case used to lift out the plate and hide a memento such as a hair lock.