A complete table of contents for the Autumn 2023 issue of Military Images magazine, and information about how to purchase single issues and subscriptions.
Cover image A sixth-plate ambrotype from the late Herb Peck Jr. Collection pictures a Confederate soldier.
Table of Contents(p. 1)
Editor’s Desk(p. 2) Announcing a new online resource of identified soldier, sailor, and other wartime images that have been published in Military Images magazine since 1979.
Mail Call(pp. 3-4) Feedback includes praise for the “Jeff. Davis and the South!” Story in the last issue, identifying a field grade Iowa officer, and more.
Military Anthropologist(p. 4) Since 1979, we’ve published 1,770 identified portraits of Confederate soldiers and sailors.
Passing in Review (p. 6) A review of Groundbreakers: The History of the Northern Virginia Relic Hunters Association by Stephen W. Sylvia and Nancy Dearing Rossbacher.
Photo Sleuth by Kurt Luther (pp. 8-10) Finding a portrait of 1st Lt. Presley Oldham Craig, the namesake of Fort Craig, one in a ring of 68 defensive forts surrounding wartime Washington, D.C.
Antebellum Warriors(p. 12) A militia company lines up along a road in front of a house in Angelica, N.Y.
Most Hallowed Ground(p. 14) Captain Sanford Cobb Kellogg served as an aide on the staff of his uncle, Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas.
The Honored Few(p. 16) Francis Edwin “Frank” Brownell received the Medal of Honor for his role in the death of Col. Elmer E. Ellsworth of the 11th New York Infantry.
The Citizenry by Elizabeth A. Topping (p. 18) Civil War era portraits of individuals posed with empty chairs memorialize the sitter. The empty chair evokes sorrow from viewers.
Fakes, Forgeries and Frauds by Perry M. Frohne(p. 20) In this case study, Perry uses a blacklight to reveal a modern forgery of an Abraham Lincoln carte de visite.
Searching for Herb Peck’s Images: 45 years after the theft of his pre-eminent collection, an update—and a new call to action by Ronald S. Coddington (pp. 22-37) In 1978, a break-in at collector Herb Peck’s Nashville home ended with the loss of prize images. The case went cold, then heated up. Here’s the latest.
Lieutenant Washington’s Fateful Encounter: James Barroll Washington sat for a well-known portrait with George Armstrong Custer. Here’s the story behind it. By Ronald S. Coddington (pp. 40-49) The story behind one of the most recognizable images of the Civil War: Lieutenants George Armstrong Custer, James Barroll Washington, and an enslaved child.
“The Brave Boy-Lieutenant”: First Lieutenant and Aide De Camp Frank N. Sheets by Brendan C. Hamilton (pp. 52-55) Frank N. Sheets of the 29th Indiana Infantry proved a model aide to Brig. Gen. Richard W. Johnson until his death at the Battle of Chickamauga.
How to Live Your Best Life: A Civil War Veteran’s Advice to the Future by Ronald S. Coddington, featuring artifacts from the Eleanor Laughlin Family Papers (pp. 56-58) Months before his death in 1920, Civil War veteran Capt. Henry Haymond wrote a poignant letter of advice to his young great-grandson.
“Hard Cases”: Distinguished European soldiers who did not become U.S. generals by Frank Jastrzembski (pp. 60-64) This trio of military men—Garibaldi, Klapka, and Zerman—were high on the list for Union generals. But they did not get commissions. Here’s why.
Q&A with Rick Carlile: On Obsessive Collecting Genes, Passion for CDVs, and More (pp. 66-68) Longtime contributor Rick Carlile shares his origin story as a collector of books, baseball cards, and Civil War photographs. It’s in the genes!
Material Culture by Anthony F. Gero (pp. 70-71) The distinctive California militia uniform of 1864-1865 featured blue cuffs and collars.
Stragglers(pp. 72-75) Portraits include a Pennsylvania Bucktail, soldiers and civilians at recruiting headquarters in Philadelphia, and a Confederate lieutenant.
Vignette: Episodes of the Civil War by Scott Valentine (p. 76) Assistant Surgeon Benjamin Walter Carpenter served in the 2nd and 9th Vermont infantries, and also as chief medical officer at Camp Douglas in Chicago.
The Last Shot (p. 80) A half-plate ambrotype picturing Company D of the 2nd Tennessee Cavalry (U.S.) posed outdoors with a variety of weapons.
Military Images is pleased to offer a free guide adapted from a compilation of columns, “Fakes, Forgeries and Frauds: Arming you with knowledge and tools to combat counterfeit images” by Perry M. Frohne.
The columns appeared between Autumn 2019 and Autumn 2023 in Military Images. The order of the columns has been changed, and some modifications have been made to the text, for this publication.
This guide is offered as a service to photograph collectors of all levels of experience with the goal of educating and raising awareness of fake images—and giving you the tools you need to detect them. These images, created with the intent to deceive, entered the marketplace as early as the 1980s. They will always be out there. The guide will give you confidence and practical knowledge to help you avoid costly mistakes.
Perry M. Frohne is the owner of Frohne’s Historic Military. He has been investigating fake images for more than 25 years. He is a MI Senior Editor. Contact Perry at modoc1873@icloud.com.
A complete table of contents for the Summer 2023 issue of Military Images magazine, and information about how to purchase single issues and subscriptions.
Cover image A stereo card from the Wisconsin Historical Society pictures three Confederate prisoners at Gettysburg taken in July 1863 by Mathew Brady’s photographers.
Table of Contents(p. 1)
Editor’s Desk(p. 2) Reflections on the value of curation is tied to a new book, America’s Defining Moment: Civil War Portraits from the Collections of Brian C. Boeve and Friends.
Mail Call(pp. 3-4) Feedback includes praise for the “Jeff. Davis and the South!” Story in the last issue, identifying a field grade Iowa officer, and more.
Military Anthropologist(p. 4) Today, we refer to the small paper prints that became all the rage during the Civil War as cartes de visite. Back then, Americans called them card photographs.
Passing in Review (pp. 6) A review of Gettysburg’s Love Lost Story: The Ill-Fated Romance of General John Reynolds and Kate Hewitt by Jeffrey J. Harding.
Photo Sleuth by Kurt Luther (pp. 8-10) Introducing Backdrop Explorer, a new Civil War Photo Sleuth feature that uses artificial intelligence to identify backgrounds.
Antebellum Warriors by Dr. Charles H. Cureton (pp. 12-13) A portrait of a Marine is dated between 1856-1859 by investigating the details of his uniform and considering its photographic format.
Most Hallowed Ground(p. 14) William A. MacNulty, 10th New York Infantry, suffered a wound and arm amputation at Fredericksburg in 1862. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
The Honored Few(p. 16) Julius H. Stahel, brigadier general and division commander, received the Medal of Honor for gallantry at the Battle of Piedmont in June 1864.
The Citizenry (p. 18) A carte de visite of Martha Naomi Wilcox is inscribed by her to her father, John F. Wilcox, who went off to war in the ranks of the 116th New York Infantry.
Fakes, Forgeries and Frauds by Perry M. Frohne(p. 20) One seller of fake cartes de visite made $7,406.19 during the first four months of 2023. This is a cautionary tale and reminder for collectors to be vigilant.
Three Confederate Prisoners at Gettysburg: Exploring the vast void of an iconic photograph by Paul Bolcik (pp. 23-31) It is one of the most recognizable—and mysterious—photographs of the Civil War. A fresh look at this July 1863 image reveals what we know, and what we don’t.
A Place of Pilgrimage for the Nation: A photographic tour through Gettysburg’s Soldiers’ National Cemetery by Charles T. Joyce (pp. 32-51) This 21-stop tour is designed for visitors to Gettysburg who seek to learn more about the Union soldiers who fought, died, and were buried there.
Relics From the Raising of the Flag at Sumter, 1865 by Ronald S. Coddington, featuring an artifact from the Glen Hayes Collection (pp. 54-56) A display mounted to cardboard preserves remnants of leaves and flora from the 1865 flag raising ceremony over Fort Sumter, and two related cartes de visite.
Reunion Magic Brings Together Daguerreotypes of a Philadelphia Militia Officer by George S. Whiteley IV. (pp. 58-61) A trio of portraits taken minutes apart by master photographer Marcus Aurelius Root of Philadelphia are reunited 175 years later. Here’s the story.
A Story Hidden Beneath a Beard by Marcy E. Zimmer (pp. 62-65) Severely wounded in the face at the Battle of Dallas, Ga., in 1864, Maj. Ephraim C. Dawes of the 53rd Ohio Infantry, he survived reconstructive surgery.
Material Culture by Ron Field (pp. 66-68) B.F. Edmands designed a unique hat to protect soldiers from the elements. It, like other early war experimental headgear, did not catch on with the troops.
Behind the Backdrop by Adam Ochs Fleischer (p. 70) Artificial Intelligence is already changing the world in myriad ways in its infancy. This includes identifying backdrops in Civil War photographs.
Stragglers(pp. 72-74) Portraits include a Confederate lieutenant by Charles R. Rees and Capt. Warren Griffith of the 7th Virginia and 1st Maryland cavalries.
Vignette: Episodes of the Civil War by Scott Valentine (p. 76) Thomas S. Thorp of the 23rd New York National Guard served in the Gettysburg Campaign. The experience left him emotionally scarred and ended in suicide.
The Last Shot (p. 80) An 1899 view of the Vicksburg battlefield by photographer John C. Coovert pictures a man making a cash deal for relics gathered by local kids.
I am delighted to announce that two Military Images stories have been recognized as finalists in the Journals and Magazine category of the Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Awards. The annual competition honors books and articles published in 2022.
Please join me in recognizing and applauding:
“How They Went Forth to the Harvest of Death” by Charles T. Joyce is a concise account of the diehard U.S. Regulars at the Battle of Gettysburg, a story largely overlooked in the annals of the war. Chuck reveals the trials and tribulations they endured, and illustrates the story with images from his collection, which is focused on portraits of Gettysburg participants. The story appeared in our Summer 2022 issue.
“Birthplace of the American Zouave” by Ron Field traces the origins of Elmer Ephraim Ellsworth and how he fostered Zouave mania first in Chicago, Ill., and through the rest of America during his drill tour through the states in the summer of 1860. The account is illustrated with images from several collections. The story appeared in our Autumn 2022 issue.
Chuck and Ron are senior editors of and regular contributors to Military Images.
The Army Historical Foundation, a non-profit, tax-exempt organization, is dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of the American soldier. Its goal is to promote greater public appreciation for the contributions that America’s Army – Regular, Reserve, and National Guard – has made to the nation in 248 years of service. The Foundation is the principal fundraiser for the National Museum of the United States Army at Fort Belvoir, Va.
The competition is managed by Chief Historian Matthew J. Seelinger.
This week I met at a local coffee shop with the printer to review proof pages for a forthcoming book by Brian Boeve, America’s Defining Moment: Civil War Portraits from the Collections of Brian C. Boeve and Friends. I am overjoyed with the superb quality and high production values, as you’ll see in the photos here. It will be a museum caliber heirloom coffee table book, hard bound with dust jacket. I could not be more pleased!
Details:
8.5 x 11 inches
Hardbound with dust jacket
270 pages
High quality paper and full color printing
Limited edition: 200 copies
Designed and printed by Military Images
Copies and will be available at the Gettysburg Show next month (June 24-26, 2023). Pre-orders are available in the Military Imagesstore.
A complete table of contents for the Spring 2023 issue of Military Images magazine, and information about how to purchase single issues and subscriptions.
Cover A quarter-plate tintype from the Dan Schwab Collection pictures a soldier standing beside the “Jeff. Davis and the South!” placard.
Table of Contents(p. 1)
Editor’s Desk(p. 2) Previously unpublished images of a man with the “Jeff. Davis and the South!” sign and Union musicians illustrate the ongoing voyage of photographic discoveries.
Mail Call(pp. 3-4) Feedback includes praise for the recent Iowa issue and Adam Ochs Fleischer’s backdrops column, and a correction for a misidentified portrait.
Military Anthropologist(p. 4) An 1861 newspaper report lists the number of ambrotypes sent by soldiers to their families at home, and from the families to the soldiers in camp.
Passing in Review (pp. 6) A review of “Emancipation,” starring Will Smith, Charmaine Bingwa, Ben Foster and Mustafa Shakir (Apple TV).
Photo Sleuth by Kurt Luther (pp. 8-10) A Civil War portrait is identified, and the photographer is connected to William Henry Jackson of the 1871 Hayden Geological Survey to Yellowstone.
Antebellum Warriors(p. 12) Connecticut’s early mobilization was carried out by Maj. Gen. Thomas Guyer, who kept men and materials moving to the front lines throughout hostilities.
Most Hallowed Ground(p. 14) Frank Wheaton began his service as an officer in the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry and ended it as a brigadier. He fought in 41 engagements. Here’s his story.
The Honored Few(p. 16) Henry Alanson Barnum, colonel of the 149th New York Infantry, received the Medal of Honor for his courage and leadership at Lookout Mountain.
The Citizenry by Elizabeth A. Topping(p. 18) In “America’s First Sex Symbol,” the adventures of actress and poet Adah Isaacs Menken’s life and career takes center stage.
Jeff. Davis and the South! Victory or Death! 15 takeaways from a new survey by Rick Brown and Ronald S. Coddington (pp. 20-28) The recent discovery of a Confederate soldier posed with a “Jeff. Davis and the South!” placard inspired a fresh look at a rare group of Civil War portraits.
Men of War: Selected image groupings from the Phil McCoy Collection (pp. 30-43) Inspired by Confederate military history in his native Kentucky, Phil McCoy focus his collection on Southern Civil War portrait photography. Here’s a sampling.
“The Armless Hero of Fredericksburg” by Mark Savolis and Ronald S. Coddington, featuring images from Mar’s collection (pp. 46-50) The courage and compassion of Medal of Honor recipient Thomas Francis Plunkett includes seven wartime and postwar portraits of him.
An Inside Look at Baltimore’s Sanitary Fair by Dione Longley and Back Zaidel (pp. 52-59) A cache of unknown images by a 19-year-old photographer comes to light in this gallery, and a history of the fair, which was visited by Abraham Lincoln.
From Yale to Yorktown by Joe Bauman and Ronald S. Coddington (pp. 62-66) In youth, Eneas Munson served in George Washington’s elite Light Infantry Corps. In old age, he reminded new American generations of freedom’s fight.
Q&A with William P. Jones: Behind the Scenes with one of Find-A-Grave’s Dedicated Contributors (pp. 68–69) Who are the stalwart individuals working with little fanfare to post portraits and other relevant information to Find-A-Grave pages? One of them is Bill Jones.
Material Culture(p. 70) Only about 20,000 Colt Second Model Dragoon Revolvers were produced, and they are rarely seen in Civil War portraits. Here’s an example.
Behind the Backdrop: Origins, artistry and photographers by Adam Ochs Fleischer (pp. 72-73) “The Harp Backdrop of Camp Graham” is unique to a single regiment, the Zouave 23rd Pennsylvania Infantry, at Washington, D.C., in 1861-1862.
Vignette: Episodes of the Civil War by Scott Valentine (p. 74) In “My Darling Clementine,” Capt. Chauncey Harris, 14th New Jersey Infantry, is wounded at the Battle of the Monocacy and finds love during his recuperation.
Stragglers(p. 76) Union soldier portraits include groups of two pards and an unpublished stereo card of the 3rd Vermont Infantry band.
The Last Shot (p. 80) A study in Southern soldier portrait photography features and ambrotype of a man armed with Bowie knife and a Colt Root Model 1855 revolver.
The holiday season is always a time to pause and reflect on the year, and its been a great one for Military Images magazine. I am grateful to subscribers, collectors, contributors from across the United States and the world, and our advertisers. All of you make Military Images magazine possible. I want to take a moment here to highlight some of the images we shared and stories we told in 2022.
A complete table of contents for the Winter 2023 issue of Military Images magazine, and information about how to purchase single issues and subscriptions.
Cover A sixth-plate tintype from the Michael Huston Collection pictures John Wesley Morton of the 19th Iowa Infantry.
Table of Contents(p. 1)
Editor’s Desk(p. 2) “Connoisseur” is usually applied to the art historian or the sommelier. It is also an apt term to describe collectors of historic images.
Mail Call(pp. 3-4) Feedback includes praise for the recent Illinois issue, a possible Mississippi uniform identification, and a note about Confederate Brig. Gen. Lloyd Tilghman.
Military Anthropologist(p. 4) A survey of advertisements of photograph albums in newspapers.com from 1860 to 1869 shows the rapid rise in popularity of these items.
Passing in Review (pp. 6) A review of The Atlanta Daily Intelligencer Covers the Civil War by Stephen Davis and Bill Hendrick (University of Tennessee Press).
Photo Sleuth by Kurt Luther (pp. 8-10) A portrait of a soldier in the 48th New York Infantry in the Library of Congress collection had two legacy identifications. Which is correct? The author investigates.
Antebellum Warriors(p. 12) An ambrotype of a seafarer wears a uniform that may be that of a Revenue-Marine Service sailor. Revenue-Marine became today’s U.S. Coast Guard.
Most Hallowed Ground(p. 14) Andrew Geddes of the 8th Iowa Infantry made captain at age 18 and lieutenant colonel at 21. He went on to a regular army career that tarnished his reputation.
The Honored Few(p. 16) 1st Lt. James Hill of the 21st Iowa Infantry crossed into rebel lines and encountered enemy pickets. How he managed to escape resulted in the Medal of Honor.
The Citizenry by Ross J. Kelbaugh(p. 18) In “a Forgotten ‘Veteran’ Remembered,” the author pays tribute to Elizabeth Fairfax, an escaped slave connected to the 26th Iowa Infantry.
Fakes, Forgeries and Frauds by Perry M. Frohne (p. 20) A dealer’s wishful thinking to turn a portrait of a Union captain to Brig. Gen. John Buford is a lesson in getting a second opinion.
Hawkeyes! Faces and stories of Iowa Volunteers in the Civil War curated by Michael Huston and introduced by Robert Welch (pp. 23-45) Representative portraits and stories of Iowa men who served in the Union army and fought at Shiloh and other Western Theater battles.
A Captain for a Captain: A forgotten act of honor connects two prisoners of war, one from Georgia and another from Iowaby Laura Elliott (pp. 46-48) In 1871, a Southern captain told a fantastical tale of being released from prison on his honor to find a captured Union captain. Here’s the rest of the story.
Small Miracles: Abbottypes were a bold experiment in mass-produced wearable melainotypes and a unique snapshot of the Civil War in 1861by Ronald S. Coddington and Nick Penachio (pp. 50-60) Anson and Charles Abbott sold 1860 presidential campaign photo buttons. It went well. After the Civil War began, they tried with military and political figures.
The Army Education of John D. Billings: A letter by the author of Hard Tack and Coffee reveals how his wartime military experience helped him become an educator by Mike Fitzpatrick (pp. 60-62) After the Civil War ended, Union veteran John D. Billings pursued the education that eluded him before the war. Here’s how he got it, and what it meant to him.
Reminiscences of Collecting Cased Military Images, 1978-2002: Q&A with Kean Wilcox (pp. 64–67) A large number of Civil War photos from the Kean Wilcox Collection can be found in early issues of Military Images magazine. Here’s the backstory.
Material Culture (p. 70) The Zouave jacket worn by veterans of the 28th Iowa Infantry has its origins in New Orleans in 1863, suggests a survey of 16 surviving soldier portraits.
Behind the Backdrop: Origins, artistry and photographers by Adam Ochs Fleischer (pp. 72-73) The author examines Civil War period portrait photographs, with the United States Capitol building and its new dome, in the background.
Vignette: Episodes of the Civil War By Scott Valentine (p. 76) In “The Water Tiger vs. the Long Board With a Hogshead,” an Indiana soldier describes the 1862 clash of ironclad warships Monitor and Virginia.
Stragglers (p. 78) Portraits of an uncommon cobalt blue-glass ambrotype, three coatless Union soldiers, and a photograph of a military man of unknown loyalties.
The Last Shot by Michael Huston (p. 80) The author recounts how Civil War living history helped him pinpoint and unravel the mystery behind the identity of an ancestor in a wartime image.
It’s contest season! The call for entries for the Army Historical Foundation’s annual Distinguished Writing Awards competition is out, and I’m pleased to announce four nominees from 2022 issues of Military Images magazine. They are:
Illinois Facesof the Civil Warintroduced by Austin Sundstrom and featuring portraits from the image collecting community (Autumn 2022) Representative portraits and stories of Illinoisans who participated in the Civil War includes 45 images, most published for the first time.
“Life in the Civil War Research Trail” is hosted by Ronald S. Coddington, Editor and Publisher of Military Images magazine. Learn more about our mission to showcase, interpret and preserve Civil War portrait photography at militaryimagesmagazine.com.
On a bright, beautifully clear Indian summer afternoon about a hundred invited guests attended the unveiling of the new interactive memorial to Mathew B. Brady in Congressional Cemetery. The memorial was erected on a double plot right next to Brady’s final resting place and features state-of-the-art photography displays. The expansive memorial was the creation and personal contribution of photographic historian Larry West of Washington, D.C. From its inception the site was designed to engage and inform visitors about Brady’s heroic efforts to record the history of his era through the enduring power of photography. West’s tribute to Brady evolved gradually over a period of four years. The central element incorporates a granite wall 8 feet high by 8 feet wide that tells in detail Brady’s life story. On the back side of the wall are two bronze plaques with Brady’s biographical information about his photographic career, his success, financial disasters and his relegated obscurity.
Overview of the Mathew Brady Memorial showing the photo gallery wall, the statues of Lincoln and Frederick Douglass and the life size photograph of Brady posed with his camera. Congressional Cemetery, Washington, D.C. Photograph by Jack Krainik
On the front of the wall are positioned eighty-five fired porcelain reproductions of Brady photographs, mostly by Brady and his photographers. A group of fourteen portraits of Brady, his wife Julia and his nephew and business associate, Levin Handy are displayed in one section. Another grouping of a dozen or so images portrays Abraham Lincoln, his assassin, the conspirators and their execution. Twelve images of African Americans grace the Brady display including the likenesses of Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and William Still, “Chief Conductor” of the Underground Railroad. Of course Brady’s portraits of famous personalities from all walks of life are here too among them Generals Grant and McClellan, First Lady Dolly Madison, writers Walt Whitman, and Charles Dickens, P.T. Barnum and Tom Thumb, Thomas Edison, Oglala Lakota leader Red Cloud, General Custer and “The March King” John Philip Sousa who, incidentally, reposes not very far from the Brady Memorial. To illustrate how many important Brady photographs are of an iconic nature, part of the display presents United States postage stamps with the portraits of famous Americans taken by Brady including presidents Zachary Taylor, Abraham Lincoln, U.S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes plus Clara Barton founder of the American Red Cross and the artist and inventor Samuel B. Morse. In a final acknowledgement to Brady’s connection to the U.S. Postal system, Larry West fashioned a section of portraits relating to the Pony Express. Shown are the likenesses of Buffalo Bill Cody who rode the Pony Express at age fifteen, a group of the first riders, Richardson, Fry, C & G. Cliff and a fine likeness of Sophia Hollenberg, co-founder of the Kansas Station– all portraits taken by Brady.
State-of-the art, life size, fired porcelain photograph of Mathew Brady. The original portrait of Brady wearing a duster and straw hat, was taken shortly after his return from the ill-fated sojourn to the battlefield of Bull Run, July 1861. His likeness is position next to a bronze rendering of a large format, circa 1860s wet-plate view camera. Photograph by Jack Krainik
Facing the wall with its multitude of imagery is a state-of-the- art, full-length, life size fired porcelain photograph of Mathew Brady. The original portrait of Brady wearing a duster and straw hat, was taken shortly after his return from the ill-fated sojourn to the battlefield of Bull Run, July 1861. His likeness is position next to a bronze rendering of a large format, circa 1860s wet-plate view camera.
Approaching the Brady and camera ensemble are two life size heroic statues of President Abraham Lincoln and the great American social reformer and statesman Frederick Douglass. Lincoln holds a sheet of paper in hand with a written excerpt from the Emancipation Proclamation – “All persons held as slaves shall be then, thenceforward and forever free. Done at the city of Washington, this first day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty three. By the President Abraham Lincoln” Frederic Douglass, the most photographed man of the 19th century, holds a walking stick given to him by Mary Lincoln after the assassination of the president. The bronze cane is an exact replica copied from the original owned by the National Park service on display at Cedar Hill, Frederick Douglass’s estate in Anacostia. Both statues were cast at the Matthew Foundry near Venice, Italy then shipped to Georgia for assembly before installation at Congressional Cemetery.
Larry West expressed his thoughts about Mathew Brady on two bronze plaques attached to the memorial:
Two bronze plaques with Brady’s biographical information about his photographic career, his success, financial disasters and his relegated obscurity are placed on the reverse side of the Memorial Wall. Photograph by Jack Krainik
“THE CAMERA IS THE EYE OF HISTORY Mathew Brady was one of the most outstanding early photographers in American history, with his work from 1844 to 1895. He is credited today as the Father of Photojournalism. This memorial was erected to honor him. His photography, as well as his other attributes & accomplishments. From the 1840s, through the 1860s, and for decades thereafter, he photographed the rich and famous; politicians & soldiers; & everyday men and women—across the races. His telling images impacted society; they still resonate with us. The bronzes of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass standing here are based on his images. He was an entrepreneur, photo-innovator, and leader – enabling him to develop teams of assistants, in the field and gallery, including Alexander Gardner, Timothy O’Sullivan, George Barnard and Anthony Berger. These employees, in his New York and Washington galleries, and field teams, often performed actual camera operation, due to his deteriorating eyesight, but he was always a strong supervisor and posing artist. His brand, “PHOTO BY BRADY”, in both America and Europe, was established by his ability to secure sittings, capture the essence of the subject matter, innovate as photo-technologies changed – & managed people.”
Larry West of Washington, D.C., the creator of the Brady Memorial, points to a photograph of Red Cloud and a delegation of Oglala Lakota who visited Washington after the Civil War. Photograph by Jack Krainik
Another plaque is placed on the right side of the columbarium furthest from Brady’s grave. The inscription reads: “Mathew Brady was a risk-taker from gallery financing to battlefields with cannons. He and his team jeopardized life and limb to capture the horror of Civil War brutality and death, and then bring it into public view. In the actual self-portrait of him standing opposite you, next to the bronze of his camera, he wears the sword given him for self-protection, at the devastating 1861 battle of Manassas – occurring only 30 miles from this spot.
Mathew is buried in the Handy family plot close to us here. Next to him is his lifelong loving wife, Julia Handy. Also here is Levin Handy, his nephew, who learned from & worked for Mathew for decades. Levin also became very successful, later photographing the Library of Congress construction. When Mathew was in extreme financial hardship in later year, Levin financed and housed Mathew and Julia, and was even a Brady bankruptcy creditor. Levin eventually inherited the Brady photography business.”
Larry West created and gave the Mathew Brady Memorial for generations to understand the importance of Brady’s photographs. Larry is flanked by life size bronze statues of President Abraham Lincoln and statesman Frederick Douglass. The statues were cast in Italy and brought to Congressional Cemetery during difficult pandemic times. Photograph by Jack Krainik
At three in the afternoon as the sun arched westward radiating the acres of stones at Congressional Cemetery, Larry West stepped up to the podium and thanked all for attending. He recounted his lifelong interest in historic photography and spoke about the important collection of antebellum images, mostly daguerreotypes, made by talented African American photographers that he assembled and sold to the Smithsonian American Art Museum. He told about his admiration for the visionary Mathew Brady and how he felt compelled to help educate the current generation of school children about the legacy that Brady had given to them. In turn he introduced the three speakers for the occasion: Cliff Krainik of Warrenton, Virginia, a photographic historian gave a brief account of Brady’s life. He spoke about the visit to Brady’s New York gallery by the Prince of Wales, the future King of England, Edward VII (Queen Elizabeth II great grandfather) and how Brady received a gold ring from the Prince. Cliff related how Brady in 1863 photographed a delegation of Southern Plains Indians who came to visit President Lincoln in the White House. Yellow Bear chief of the Kiowa died a few days after the group photograph and was buried in Congressional Cemetery just a short distance from Brady’s grave. Next, Grant Romer, a world authority on early photography and former Conservator of Photography at the George Eastman House spoke about the lasting quality of photography and how important Brady’s work was in creating an historic memory for the present day; and lastly David Kent, President of the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia, gave an account of the significant role Mathew Brady’s Cooper Union portrait of candidate Abraham Lincoln played in the election of 1860 and of the several Lincoln portrait sessions in Brady’s Washington gallery during the Civil War.
Speakers at the dedication of the Mathew Brady Memorial. Left to right: David Kent, President of the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia, Grant Romer, an international authority on early photography and former Conservator of Photography at the George Eastman House, and Cliff Krainik of Warrenton, Virginia, photographic historian, dealer and appraiser of 19th century photography. Photograph by Jack Krainik
After the presentations were made the congenial group assembled around the memorial and a rollicking toast was offered to the great Civil War photographer – Happy Birthday Mathew Brady ! In the glow of the ebbing afternoon I felt Brady’s presence and imagined him among us directing his assistants where best to position their cameras to record the event. “See over there” whispered Brady –“ That grave stone is the prefect height. Please have Mr. West sit there – I’ll tell you how to take his portrait.”
