Brady, Mathew B.(1823?–96)

Photographer

Mathew B. Brady is generally considered to be the most celebrated photographer of the American Civil War—but he might more accurately be described as the mastermind behind a grand project, for he took few of these photographs himself. He had the foresight to recognize the importance of chronicling such a major event in American history and the business acumen to envisage substantial profits from the enterprise. Ironically, although Brady gained renown for his Civil War photographs, this project also contributed to his financial ruin.

Brady was born near Lake George, New York, to poor parents of Irish heritage. Little is known of his childhood. However, in 1841 he moved to New York City to study the photographic process under Samuel F. B. Morse. Morse was an accomplished artist and inventor who, although better known for his work in telegraphy, also introduced the art of photography to America. Within three years Brady opened his own studio in New York. He initially specialized in portraits of famous Americans and quickly gained a reputation as America's foremost photographer. He had suffered from eye problems since childhood, however, and by the 1850s his failing eyesight led him to rely more heavily on his associates. Alexander Gardner, a Scottish chemist who was the leading expert in the new wet plate process, became Brady's righthand man. In 1858 Brady put Gardner in charge of his Washington, D.C., studio. At the same time, he took a young apprentice, Timothy O'sullivan, under his wing. In 1860 he photographed the presidential candidates, including Stephen Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Later Lincoln was to credit Brady with assisting in his successful presidential campaign.

By the outbreak of the Civil War, Brady had attained great success, with two studios in New York and two in Washington, D.C. The conflict lent a powerful impetus for photography, as soldiers rushed to have their portraits taken to leave behind with loved ones. Many of the most famous Union officers were photographed at the Mathew Brady Studio, including Benjamin Butler, George McClellan, Joseph Hooker, and George Meade. Brady saw an opportunity and [Page 87]determined to record the conflict. “A spirit in my feet said ‘Go,’” he said, “and I went.” Although friends tried to dissuade him, pointing out the many dangers of the battlefield as well as the potential financial risks, Brady was determined to make a visual record of the war. In July 1861, he personally photographed the aftermath of first major battle of the war at Manassas, Virginia. Thereafter Brady organized teams of photographers, including Gardner and O'sullivan to travel with the Union Army. In 1863 Brady appointed longtime employee Andrew Burgess as his partner. Gardner, O'sullivan, and Burgess were responsible for many of the photographs taken during the Civil War, although they were published under Brady's name.

Photographic technology of the 1860s was relatively new. Photographs taken on wet plates had to be processed immediately onto heavy glass negatives. As this required cumbersome equipment, photographers had to drive wagons to the battlefront. Soldiers called these portable darkrooms “whatsit wagons.” The several seconds required for an exposure offered no opportunity to capture movement, so battlefield photographs were normally taken during truces called for both sides to bury their dead. Brady's photographic teams roamed the battlefields. Not content simply to document what they saw, they commonly positioned dead bodies to capture the qualities they wished to convey.

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