“A spirit in my feet said ‘Go,’ and I went.”*
by chuckofish
Today we toast the most famous photographer of the 19th century, Mathew Brady (1822-1896). (His birthday was yesterday.) Best known for his scenes of the Civil War, he studied under inventor Samuel F.B. Morse, who pioneered the daguerreotype technique in America. Brady opened his own studio in New York City in 1844, and photographed every U.S. president from John Q. Adams through McKinley (except Harrison, who died 31 days after taking office) and myriad public figures throughout the century.
When the Civil War started, he set out to use his innovative mobile studio and darkroom to document the war, enabling the taking of vivid battlefield photographs that brought home the reality of war to the public.
Thousands of war scenes were captured, as well as portraits of generals and politicians on both sides of the conflict, producing a remarkable pictorial history of the war. (Many of these photos were taken by his assistants, rather than by Brady himself.)
This short video from the Smithsonian is “age-restricted” because it includes photos of dead bodies on the battlefields of the Civil War. We did not restrict the boy (when a mere child) from spending hours pouring over the pages of the American Heritage pictorial history of the Civil War. This big book included many photos taken by Mathew Brady.
I was likewise fascinated by those photos in that book at an early age. They were definitely more graphic than anything I had ever scene, but I don’t think I was scarred by the experience. No more than I should have been anyway. Some scarring is warranted.
The boy then made many of his own drawings of battles and soldiers.
The U.S. National Archives has most of Brady’s original photographs. You can see them: just click here.
P.S. I did something the other day that was life-changing. I switched out the light bulbs in my bedside table lamp and the lamp on the desk in my office for ones with a higher wattage. Amazing. I can see! Praise Jesus. It’s the little things, am I right?
Also, I am feeling this: a new way to exercise. (Turn on the sound and watch the whole workout.)
Does the word ‘gentleman’ still mean anything today? Here’s why it should.
And, finally, I hear this:
*Mathew Brady
dual personalities 
Nineteenth-century photography and the daguerrotype is pretty remarkable. You might recall that Hawthorne was fascinated by photography and the protagonist of The House of the Seven Gables is a daguerrotypist, so I have also always been interested!
WRC’s drawings are also impressive! And I love the Busy Town meme 🙂
So much to love in this post! Particularly Big Wheeler’s drawings and that meme. xo.
Yes. Those American Heritage books were verrrry important to my childhood but I don’t remember being shocked by the photographs in the CW book. The World War 1 AH book on the other hand…
I always loved looking at those American Heritage books. Wheeler’s drawings are very impressive and remind me of our mother’s talent. And I really like the article on gentlemen!
Yes–I especially liked “As Supreme Allied Commander during the Second World War, Dwight D. Eisenhower would quote Proverbs 16:32: “Greater is he who can rule his own spirit than he who takes a city,” a verse his mother had taught him in childhood.”