"From the first, I regarded myself as under obligation to my country to preserve the faces of its historic men and mothers." |
Mathew BradyGaining a Reputation:
Mathew's career started when he arrived in New York City at the age of sixteen. He worked as a department store clerk, and in the manufacturing of jewelry cases. While doing his other jobs, he learned how to perform the daguerreotype process, a process used to develop negatives into photographs. Soon, he had started his own daguerreotype studio on Broadway. He quickly gained the reputation of being one of the greatest photographers in the nation. A few years before the Civil War began, in 1858, he started another studio. This one was called "Brady's National Photographic Art Gallery" and was located in Washington D.C. Having a gallery in Washington D.C. gave him the ability to photograph lots of different country leaders. He created many portraits during this time. Mathew Brady and the Civil War:
Soon, the Civil War began. Brady decided that he was going to photograph the whole war as thoroughly as he possibly could. In order to do this he organized his corps of photographers (see "Brady's Civil War Corps"). In 1862, just one year into the war, Mathew displayed photographs taken by his corps; more specifically Alexander Gardner and James Gibson. People looking at these photos were astonished. Having only known about the war by reading or hearing about it, these photos brought a whole new understanding of the Civil War to many. |
After the War:
After the Civil War, Mathew Brady faced serious debts. In order to try to save his photography business, he
tried to sell all of his Civil War photos, to make money to pay off his debts. This attempt failed, and Brady
went bankrupt. He died penniless, but his legacy lives on to today.
After the Civil War, Mathew Brady faced serious debts. In order to try to save his photography business, he
tried to sell all of his Civil War photos, to make money to pay off his debts. This attempt failed, and Brady
went bankrupt. He died penniless, but his legacy lives on to today.