Portrait of Ernest Besig, Executive Director, Northern California American Civil Liberties Union from the waist up in shirt sleeves. Mr. Besig's hair is combed smoothly back on his head. He wears dark horn-rimmed glasses and is looking to the right of the photographer. While is mouth is open and his top row of teeth show, he is not really smiling. He is wearing a long sleeve white shirt, dark suspenders with metal fasteners and a dark patterned tie. He has a pin under the knot of the tie to hold his shirt collar together. It is difficult to tell if he is standing or seated. Behind him at about the level of his neck from left to right is a darker portion of the that runs almost the width of the photo that could be wall paneling that meets the light colored ceiling. On the right of this area is a light portion that could be a window with white curtains.