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This 19th-century wood engraving depicts the professional office or "cabinet" of Toussaint-Augustin Gouffé, located at 148 Rue Montmartre in Paris, where he worked as a successful court bailiff before his murder in 1889. The room is shown with its original Victorian furnishings, including a large, intricately carved wooden desk in the foreground, stacks of legal documents and books on a small draped table, and a wall of tall filing cabinets designed for holding judicial records. A large mirror hangs above a fireplace mantel adorned with decorative objects, while a landscape painting is visible on the adjacent wall. The heavy curtain pulled back from the door and the plush, fringed chairs suggest a space of both business and comfortable status. This illustration was published after his disappearance to provide the public with a glimpse into the respectable life of the victim, contrasting his professional environment with the sordid "murder room" rented by Michel Eyraud and Gabrielle Bompard where he ultimately met his end.