Mathew Brady
Famous 19th Century Photo Historian
Mathew Brady Important Facts
- took photos of celebrities and important figures in America
- captured some of the most iconic photos of the Civil War era
- documented history through photos
- didn't take all of the photos himself
- hired many assistants to help him with the coverage of the Civil war
- he and his team took more than 10,000 photos of the Civil War
This portrait, of Mark Twain by Mathew Brady, was taken in 1871.
Summary
Mathew Brady was one of the most famous photographers of the 19th century. He took his greatest photos during the mid-to-late 1800's. He was born in New York in 1822 and died at the age of 74, in 1896. He took pictures of very important figures in the 1850's but got famous for his work on the Civil War. However, he didn't take all of the pictures, but instead hired a very skilled set of photographers to do it for him. He is now celebrated as one of the best photo journalist/historians ever.
Mathew Brady's Vision
Mathew Brady's ideas and accomplishments are explained in detail, in this video.
Connections
He was also the preferred photographer of Abraham Lincoln. Mathew took the photo that tipped the presidential election in 1860 and showed the country that Abraham Lincoln could be a smart, sophisticated president.
Mathew Brady took this photo of Abraham Lincoln while Lincoln was running for president in the 1860 election. This tipped the scales towards Lincoln's side.