This engraving of George Miller Beard was made in 1862 when he graduated from Yale College. He went on to become a distinguished physician and specialist in the treatment of mental disorders. As a champion of the rights of the insane, he was instrumental in the formation of the National Association for the Protection of the Insane and Prevention of Insanity.

The Yale Picture Collection contains images of faculty and students. In the nineteenth century, Yale students commonly exchanged pictures of themselves and placed them in albums specifically designed to allow them to create a visual record of their class. Before photography became popular, students collected engraved images of their classmates, such as this one of Beard.