Salem Press

Great Lives from History: The 19th Century offers worldwide coverage of important men and women in all areas of achievement who flourished between 1801 and 1900. Below is an excerpt from the Great Lives's essay on Mathew Brady.

Mathew Brady
Little is known about Mathew B. Brady’s birth beyond the fact that he said he was born around 1823 in Warren County, New York. Little is known about his parents, though his father was probably an Irish immigrant. The death certificate for Brady, which was completed in 1896, lists his father’s name as Andrew and his mother’s name as Julia. Brady’s wife had preceded him in death, and he was therefore listed as a widower, with no name given for his spouse. This contributes to a problem surrounding Brady, because his wife, Juliet Elizabeth Handy, was apparently called “Julia,” too. The literature about Brady does not deal with this matter of his parents’ names, perhaps because there are so many unknowns about the man.

Even the odd spelling of Brady’s first name, with a single “t,” has no explanation, and as for the middle initial, Brady said it meant nothing. What is known of him comes from the sparest materials. There are no letters, notebooks, diaries, or other written matter. Despite his large enterprise, there are no wills, real estate transactions with his personal signature, or anything that is written by him. He was probably illiterate, though it has been suggested that he could read if not write. However, this is improbable, as there is no evidence to support the claim; indeed, some historians even doubt that the signatures on his photographs are by his hand.

There is no record or account of Brady’s education. Considering that all of his life seemed to be spent promoting himself in society and cultivating the prominent and the wealthy, he may have chosen to be mysterious about his humble background. His basic education was practical, beginning when he spent time in Saratoga, New York, where he met a painter named William Page. Saratoga, located just south of Lake George, has a long history as a popular resort and vacation area for prominent Americans. Because of its natural hot springs and attractive setting, as well as its location close to Albany and New York City, it was already an important health spa when Brady arrived.

- Jack J. Cardoso