This set of sepia portrait photographs (circa 1867-1877) depicts twenty-one Freemasons from Nashville and the surrounding areas. Each man is dressed in mason regalia, with red hand-tinted details that indicate they were members of the Knights Templar, a masonic order in which members must profess a belief in Christianity. Many of these men were prominent members of their communities, including merchants, lawyers, bankers, and physicians, and a number were Confederate soldiers and officers. Included is a self-portrait of C.C. Giers, a copy of which is also held at the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution. Some of these photographs and others by Giers are available at the Library of Congress and the Tennessee State Library and Archives.

Carl Caspar “C.C.” Giers (April 28, 1828-May 24, 1877) was born in the Kingdom of Prussia and immigrated to The United States in 1845. He relocated to Nashville, Tennessee in 1852, first working as a railroad conductor before opening a daguerreotype studio, which he expanded in 1859 to provide ambrotypes, miniatures, and other photographic services.

Giers continued to produce photographs throughout the Civil War, including many of soldiers from both the Confederacy and the Union. When Nashville was occupied by the Union in 1862, Giers was allowed to move freely throughout the city and surrounding areas, and by October 1863, he had opened a new studio on Union Street, and hired a large staff to assist him in running it. The new studio became a tourist attraction for the city in the early 1870s, with an exhibition gallery, sitting room, and large dressing rooms for patrons. Giers became known for producing carte de visites, small photographs that were mounted on paper cards, which were popular for their low cost and collectability. For ease of access, the negative for each photograph was stored at the studio, and the corresponding number written on the back of the print so that duplicates could be requested. While he photographed presidents, governors, businessmen, and other prominent and famous (or infamous) individuals, Giers also worked with the local population to provide personal family photographs.

Along with running his studio, Giers also frequently traveled to the eastern United States to learn new photographic techniques and trends, and exhibited his work at national and internation fairs and exhibitions. He was a champion for immigration, and served as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives in the 39th General Assembly from 1875-1877, having been endorsed by both Democrats and Republicans.

While he had never married, Giers adopted a son, Otto Giers, who would also become a photographer. After a long illness, Carl C. Giers died at his home on the outskirts of Nashville on May 24, 1877, aged 49, and was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery.