C. 1860's General P. G. T. Beauregard CDV Photo by Edward H. T. Anthony

  

SUBJECT : Brigadier General Pierre Gustave Toutant-Beauregard (see bio below). SIZE : Board measures 2.5" x 3.5", and mounted photo measures 2" x 3.375".

Anthony was a pivotal figure in 19th-century American photography, known both for his technical innovations and for founding one of the most influential photographic supply companies in the United States. Born in New York City in 1819, Anthony initially studied civil engineering and worked on early railroad surveys, including efforts under General George B. However, his interest shifted to photography in the 1840s, a field that was still in its infancy at the time.

Anthony began his photographic career by experimenting with the daguerreotype process. He opened one of the earliest photographic galleries in New York and soon became involved in manufacturing and supplying photographic materials. By 1850, he had established a business focused on the production and distribution of photographic chemicals, plates, and equipment, operating under the name E. In 1852, his brother Henry T. Anthony joined the firm, and together they built the company into the largest photographic supply house in the United States during the 19th century. Supplied the booming market of professional and amateur photographers with everything from cameras and lenses to chemicals and photographic papers. They also published periodicals, including the "Anthony's Photographic Bulletin", which became a key source of technical information for photographers. Their catalogues, widely distributed, helped standardize photographic equipment and techniques across the country. In addition to being a businessman, Anthony was also an accomplished photographer.

He captured significant events, including scenes from the Civil War, and worked with other notable photographers such as Mathew Brady. His firm also issued thousands of stereoscopic views, cartes de visite, and cabinet cards, contributing heavily to the visual culture of the era. The company became known for its high-quality products and technical expertise, and in the 1880s it merged with Scovill Manufacturing Company to become the Scovill & Adams Company. This move helped ensure the company's continued influence in the photographic industry into the early 20th century. Anthony remained an active leader in photography and business until his death in 1888.

His legacy includes not only his contributions as a photographer but also his instrumental role in shaping the infrastructure that supported the expansion of photography in the United States. Pierre Gustave Toutant-Beauregard was born on May 28, 1818, near New Orleans, Louisiana, and died on February 20, 1893, in the same city. He was a prominent Confederate general during the American Civil War and one of the first senior military leaders to achieve national attention for the Confederacy. His career spanned military command, civil engineering, and postwar political advocacy. Beauregard was born into a French Creole family and received his early education in New Orleans before attending the United States Military Academy at West Point.

He graduated second in the class of 1838 and was commissioned into the U. He served with distinction in the Mexican-American War under General Winfield Scott, where he earned several brevet promotions for gallantry and engineering expertise, particularly during the campaigns that led to the capture of Mexico City. After the Mexican War, Beauregard continued his service in the U.

Army, working largely on engineering and coastal defense projects. In early 1861, shortly before the outbreak of the Civil War, he was briefly appointed superintendent of West Point but was removed after only a few days due to his Southern sympathies. When Louisiana seceded from the Union, Beauregard resigned his U. Commission and offered his services to the Confederacy.

He was soon appointed a brigadier general in the Confederate Army and gained immediate fame as the commander at the Battle of Fort Sumter in April 1861, the first engagement of the Civil War. Following this, he played a leading role at the First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas) in July 1861, where his forces helped achieve an early Confederate victory, raising Southern morale and elevating his reputation.

As the war progressed, Beauregard held various key commands. He served under General Albert Sidney Johnston at the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862, where he took over command after Johnston's death. Despite initial Confederate success, Union forces ultimately prevailed.

Beauregard later commanded the defenses of Charleston, South Carolina, where he became well known for his engineering skills and successful resistance against repeated Union attacks, particularly during the long siege of the city. He also oversaw the defense of Petersburg, Virginia, in 1864, delaying Union General Ulysses S.

Although not always in full agreement with the strategies of Jefferson Davis or Robert E. Lee, Beauregard remained a committed and active Confederate officer until the final months of the war. He held executive positions in railroads and served as supervisor of the Louisiana Lottery, one of the most lucrative enterprises in the state at the time. Though once a symbol of Confederate defiance, Beauregard eventually supported national reconciliation. In the postwar years, he advocated for civil rights for African Americans, including suffrage and desegregation, which set him apart from many of his former Confederate peers.

Beauregard died in 1893 at the age of seventy-four. His military legacy is marked by his early wartime successes, his engineering acumen, and his later commitment to rebuilding the South in a more inclusive and modern direction. He remains one of the most complex and influential figures of the Civil War era.