This is a Museum-generated black/white negative of a mount held in the collection. It shows mounted prints taken from the original daguerreotypes of the officers of HMS Erebus (1826), a bomb vessel converted for polar exploration. It also includes a portrait photograph of the captain of HMS Terror (1812), also a bomb vessel converted for polar exploration. The photographs are reproductions of those taken by Richard Beard in May 1845 prior to the two ships leaving for the expedition to the Canadian Arctic.

Each portrait photograph has the name of the sitter below it and the original print was titled, at the bottom, 'Officers of the "Erebus" who sailed from England 19th May 1845. In search of the North West Passage.'

The portrait sitters are (top row, l-r): Lieutenant Le Vesconte, Lieutenant Couch, Lieutenant Des Voeux, Lieutenant R O Sargent; (middle row, l-r): Lieutenant Fairholme, Captain Crozier [of HMS Terror], Captain Sir John Franklin, Commander Fitzjames, Leiutenant Graham Gore; (bottom row, l-r): James Reid (icemaster), S Stanley (surgeon), H D S Goodsir (asst. surgeon), C. Osmer (purser), H F Collins (icemaster).