The two plates show the same woman alive and dead.

Almost full-length portrait of a two children, seated, an older girl on the right of the image close to a younger sibling on the left. Both wear similar costumes, a blue plaid cape over similar plaid skirts, with white pantaloons beneath. The girl on the right has dark hair with curls around the brow, the boy or girl on the left has longer, paler hair, curled into ringlets. The pale blue capes are tied on with broad ribbons about the neck, where the collar of a shirt or blouse is also seen. The girl holds a piece of paper, perhaps a letter. The backdrop is a plain cloth. Hand coloured.

Landscape view of three people by a turbulent river and waterfall amidst a rocky landscape. All three are standing on an outcrop overlooking the river, a young man holds a fishing rod, a smaller boy in a kilt stands behind him, and an older man with a cap behind him. There is a wood and rope bridge in the middle ground, beyond the land rises to high rocky hills. A tree on the right side has bare branches.

The case is in book-form, with an overlapping flap which folds over from the right side. A metal tongue slips into a receiving slot on the front to close it.

According to https://www.myheritage.com/names/maria_tomlinson (consulted 12/3/2016) Maria Cecilia Lance (born Tomlinson) was born in 1843, to Rev. William Robert Tomlinson and Cecilia Tomlinson (born Baker). Rev was born on January 7 1811, in Westham, Surrey, UK.. Cecilia was born on September 26 1816, in Limehouse, Middlesex, UK.. Maria had 3 siblings: Ralph Ward Tomlinson and 2 other siblings. Maria married George Edmund Lance. George was born on April 14 1833, in St. Pancras, London, Middlesex, UK.. They also had one daughter: Ada Cecilia Lance. She died in 1919.