born 0441; 1823, near Lake George, N.Y., U.S.
died Jan. 15, 1896, New York, N.Y.
U.S. photographer.
He learned to make daguerreotypes from Samuel F.B. Morse . In 1844 he opened the first of two studios in New York City and began photographing famous people (including Daniel Webster , Edgar Allan Poe , and Henry Clay ). In 1847 Brady opened a studio in Washington, D.C., and there created, copied, and collected portraits of U.S. presidents. He achieved international fame with A Gallery of Illustrious Americans (1850). In 1861 he set out to make a complete record of the American Civil War with a staff of more than 20 photographers, including Timothy H. O'Sullivan and Alexander Gardner . He probably photographed the battles of Bull Run , Antietam , and Gettysburg himself.