Mathew B Brady Photographed by Brady

Mathew B Brady Photographed by Brady

By Kimberly Largent-Christopher

Although thousands of Civil War field photographs bear the credit line Photograph by Brady, chances are they weren’t.

Mathew B Brady was born ca. 1823 in Warren County, NY to Irish immigrants. During his teens, a violent inflammation of the eyes sent Brady to Albany, NY in search of medical treatment. While in Albany, the 16-year-old Brady met renowned portrait artist William Page who quickly became his mentor. Page soon took Brady, whom he considered a quick study, to New York City where he introduced him to Samuel Morse, professor of painting and design at NY University. Morse, who’d invented the telegraph a year earlier, was impressed with Brady and accepted him as a painting student. But after a period of watching Morse dabble in photography, Brady was mesmerized by the possibilities and soon traded the brush for the dark box, glass lens, and mirrors used to create daguerreotypes. He invested his time, money and energy into learning everything he could about this form of photography.

At age 21, Brady opened the lavishly decorated “Daguerrean Miniature Gallery” in New York directly across the street from the American Museum of Oddities, operated by P.T. Barnum. Brady’s operation flourished. His gallery, considered the finest, touted top-of-the-line backgrounds, cameras, and other equipment and was fitted with special skylights that allowed him to control lighting. He spared no expense in hiring qualified technicians, camera operators, chemists, mounters, and retouch artists. By 1845, at the age of 22, Brady was well entrenched in the business and well sought after. Many of his early works included the human anomalies from Barnum’s museum across the street.

Next, Brady compiled a book entitled Gallery of Illustrious Americans that included portraits of several past presidents as well as prominent citizens such as James Fennimore Cooper, Andrew Jackson, and Daniel Webster. Finally established, Brady was ready to settle down. In 1849, he met and married Juliet Handy. The two embarked on a trip to Europe where Brady won a gold medal for excellence in a world-class photography competition. Once returned to the states, Brady continued studying new photography techniques. His ability to continually modernize allowed him to remain a leader in his field. By the time he was 35 years old, he’d opened the National Photographic Art Gallery in Washington, DC and had been sought out by Edward, Prince of Wales who requested a royal sitting during a trip to America.

Presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln also sought Brady’s expertise to shoot his campaign portrait. Brady expertly used his special skylights to downplay Lincoln’s awkward appearance. After winning the election, Lincoln stated, “Brady and the Cooper Union speech made me president!”

The Civil War years were paradoxical for Brady who was granted permission by the government to compile a photographic record of the war. His first attempt, during the Battle of Bull Run, produced only blurred images and it was realized that his war photographs would have to be either staged where the subjects posed in stillness, or images of the battle—such as images of the dead. He worked meticulously hiring and training camera operators and technicians, and outfitting wagons with cameras and chemicals. By the end of the war, he had established over 35 photography outposts strategically positioned throughout the nation.

During the war, many of his best camera operators quit because Brady refused to give them credit for photographs they’d taken. Each photograph was neatly labeled “Photograph by Brady.” But Brady had served more as a curator than a field photographer. He spent his time collecting the works of over 200 wartime photographers and securing copyrights on their photos. He felt justified in assuming credit since the photographer was on his payroll. Most of the photographs found their way to Leslie’s or Harper’s Weekly, but Brady wanted more—mass distribution. He had, after all, invested his net worth of $100,000 on his war project. But mass distribution never materialized and Brady declared bankruptcy after the war. He neglected his work and the technological advancements being made in photography and began drinking more and more. It wasn’t until 1875 the government purchased his Civil War negatives for a measly $25,000 that was immediately consumed by remaining debts.

Brady’s fortune never returned and his devastation was furthered by the death of his wife in 1887. Throughout his lifetime, Mathew Brady opened several galleries only to die in 1896 a pauper who felt unappreciated for his contributions to history and to the field of photography. It’s ironic to think that a young man who sought treatment for an eyesight affliction would embark on a path that would lead him to become the nation’s eyes to the horrors of the Civil War.