A traditional ship portrait of the British steamship S.S. Bisley, executed in what appears to be gouache or oil on glass or card. The vessel is depicted in profile, navigating a choppy grey-green sea under an overcast sky. The ship features a black hull with a red band at the waterline and a white superstructure. A single red funnel with a black top is shown emitting grey smoke, and it bears a white diamond-shaped house flag with a red central device. The ship is rigged with two masts; the foremast flies the British Red Ensign, and the aft mast flies a blue house flag. In the lower centre, the ship is identified by white hand-painted lettering reading S.S. BISLEY.

The work is housed in a dark wooden frame with a gilded inner beaded slip. On the reverse or an accompanying document, there is a handwritten inscription in black ink that reads: THE SAGA OF THE GOOD SHIP ‘BISLEY’ LOST TRAFALGAR DAY 1911. Further down, the text reads: Courtesy Lloyds Library July 1981 followed by a signature that appears to read C. R. Robinson.