Mathew Brady

The American Civil War was the first conflict to be photographed extensively, and the man most responsible for that was Matthew Brady, a photographer who operated a studio in Washington, D.C.  Early on, Brady realized the importance of preserving the history of the war through photographs.  He organized a large group of photographers to complete this task.  All of the photos he obtained had the name of Brady's Studio printed on them, so a common misconception is that Brady himself took all the pictures.  Rather, he assumed the role of overseer or supervisor, often purchasing the photographs of others.  Brady's work is of enormous importance to us today.  Without his contributions, our understanding of the American Civil War would be missing an important component.

Brady was perhaps the first photojournalist, who took his cameras and equipment, clumsy though they were, around with the Union Army, and recorded portraits, daily life, and the appalling aftermath of the battles (his film was too slow to actually photograph the fighting itself, not to mention the probability that his camera would be likely to be mistaken for an artillery piece and fired upon.)
 

 
PHOTOGRAPHS
 

Federal Soldiers Rebuilding the Orange and Alexandria Railroad Bridge	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Portrait of Pvt. John White, Drummer Boy	Discussion Questions	Photograph
General George Stoneman and Staff	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Engineers Building a Corduroy Road	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Ruins of Mayo Bridge	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Unburied Dead on the Battlefield	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Soldiers Filling Canteens	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Richmond, Virginia Before and After Shelling	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Federal Troops Drawn Up to Witness a Hanging	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Pres. Lincoln and Gen. McClellan in the General's Tent	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Mathew Brady and General Ambrose E. Burnside	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Tracks of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad Destroyed by Confederates	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Newspaper Vendor and Cart in Camp	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Sunken Confederate Ships	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Noncommissioned Officers' Mess of Company D, 93rd New York Infantry	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Fugitive African Americans Fording the Rappahannock River	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Photographer's Wagon and Tent	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Soldiers with a 24-pdr. Siege Gun on a Wooden Barbette	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Butler's Signal Tower	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Fire Engine Number 3	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Sling for Transporting Big Guns	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Military Telegraph Operators	Discussion Questions	Photograph
African American Soldiers Resting	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Houses Damaged by Shelling,  December 13, 1862	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Prof. Thaddeus Stowe Observing a Battle from his Balloon, 'Intrepid'	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Canal Under Construction	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Wharf with Transport and Supplies	Discussion Questions	Photograph
A Confederate Field Hospital	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Residence of Jefferson Davis	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Cooks in the Kitchen of Soldiers' Rest	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Residence of Robert E. Lee	Discussion Questions	Photograph
Confederate Winter Quarters	Discussion Questions	Photograph

 

MISCELLANEOUS

Mathew Brady Biographical Notes     *   Using Civil War Pictures
What I See--What It Means (activity)
 
 

Montgomery County Public Schools                                                                                               Montgomery County, Virginia
 

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