Visible area 229 x 178 mm. The photo depicts a white-bearded Barnes seated in a chair with a large book on his lap, below the caption is an INSCRIPTION IN HARDY'S HAND: "Incumbent of Whitcombe Chapel, 1847-1886, a dependency of Milton Abbey." Faintly written on the reverse wooden panel of the frame, "A gift for the author T. Hardy/Max Gate/Dorchester" that appears to be in Barnes' hand. This same image was used as the frontispiece to "The Life of William Barnes: Poet and Philologist" by Barne's daughter Lucy Baxter (who also used the penname Leader Scott), published by Macmillan in 1887.

A KEEPSAKE PRESENTED TO THOMAS HARDY FROM HIS FRIEND WILLIAM BARNES. William Barnes (1801-1886) was a Dorset dialect poet, philologist, and writer of many works in the local Dorset dialect. He was a contemporary and friend of Thomas Hardy, and his poetry often celebrated the Dorset countryside and rural life.

[With:] BARNES. Poems of Dorset Dialect. London: John Russell, 1870. Original cloth. INSCRIBED BY BARNES. -- WARNE, Charles. Ancient Dorset. Bournemouth: D. Sydenham, 1872. Original cloth. SUBSCRIBER'S COPY, number 56, presented to William Barnes.