Mathew Brady

Mathew Brady
Brady c. 1875
Born	c. 1822–1824 Warren County, New York, U.S.
Died	(1896-01-15)January 15, 1896 (aged 71–74) New York City, U.S.
Resting place	Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
Occupations	Photographer photojournalist
Spouse	Juliet Handy ​ ​ (m. 1850; died 1887)​
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Mathew B. Brady^[1] (c. 1822–1824 – January 15, 1896) was an American photographer. Known as one of the earliest and most famous photographers in American history, he is best known for his scenes of the Civil War. He studied under inventor Samuel Morse, who pioneered the daguerreotype technique in America. Brady opened his own studio in New York City in 1844, and went on to photograph U.S. presidents John Quincy Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Millard Fillmore and Martin Van Buren, among other public figures.

When the Civil War began, Brady's use of a mobile studio and darkroom enabled thousands of vivid battlefield photographs to bring home the reality of war to the public. He also photographed generals and politicians on both sides of the conflict, though most of these were taken by his assistants rather than by Brady himself.

After the end of the Civil War, these pictures went out of fashion, and the government did not purchase the master copies as he had anticipated. Brady's fortunes declined sharply, and he died in debt.