Question 2 of 21

Which U.S. president gave credit to Mathew Brady for helping him win the election?

... Abraham Lincoln once said, "Brady and the Cooper Institute made me president." On the same day as Lincoln's famous 1860 speech at the Cooper Union, the future president also sat for a portrait session with Mathew Brady.

Question 3 of 21

Fact or fiction: While many recognize Mathew Brady as one of history's most famous photographers, Brady actually took very few pictures himself.

... Fact: Brady suffered from poor eyesight, and took few pictures on his own. He is credited for the work of countless other assistants whom he hired to wield his cameras.

Question 4 of 21

What early photographic technology inspired Brady to open his own portrait studio in 1844?

... In 1839, the daguerreotype process was introduced. This allowed photographers to capture images on light-sensitive metal plates. Brady relied on daguerreotypes when he opened his first studio in 1844.

Question 5 of 21

Fact or fiction: Mathew Brady was not only a famous photographer; he also played a role in the birth of newspaper advertising.

... Fact: In 1856, Brady paid for an ad in the New York Herald to promote his photography services. His ad was one of the first in history to use a different font and typeface than the surrounding print.

Question 6 of 21

What did Brady manufacture before he got into photography?

... Brady took a job manufacturing jewelry cases in New York before finding his niche in photography.

Question 7 of 21

Which famous Brady assistant later took one of the last photographs of Lincoln before his assassination?

... Alexander Gardner started off as an assistant to Brady and later became the official photographer of the Union Pacific Railroad. He also took the last-known photo of Abraham Lincoln before his death.

Question 8 of 21

Fact or fiction: The American government hired Mathew Brady to document the Civil War.

... Fiction: Mathew Brady had little explanation for why he felt compelled to photograph the war. He simply stated, "A spirit in my feet said 'Go,' and I went."

Question 9 of 21

Brady brought the horrors of the war to urbanites in Manhattan with his 1862 exhibit showcasing this battle.

... Brady displayed photos of the Battle of Antietam in his New York studio in 1862, bringing the true horrors of the war home for those who would never set foot on a battlefield.

Question 10 of 21

Which of the following presidents was never photographed by Brady?

... William Henry Harrison died just one month after his inauguration into office, and Brady never photographed him.

Question 11 of 21

Which of the following units of U.S. currency features a Brady image?

... Both the penny and the $5 bill feature images of Abraham Lincoln that were captured by Mathew Brady. A Brady image of Lincoln was also used on an 1869 postal stamp.

Question 12 of 21

Mathew Brady almost lost his life in this famous Civil War battle.

... Mathew Brady was almost killed at Bull Run. He escaped, only to end up lost in the woods for three days before he turned up outside of Washington, D.C.

Question 13 of 21

During the war, Brady's assistants traveled in these unique vehicles as they photographed soldiers and battlefields.

... Brady photographers traveled in mobile darkrooms as they documented the war.

Question 14 of 21

Fact or fiction: Many of Brady's surviving war images feature gruesome battle scenes.

... Fiction: Just one of Brady's battle scene photos survives to this day. Many of Brady's images capture soldiers as they prepare for battle or travel.

Question 15 of 21

What technology did Brady invent that helped make him one of the country's most famous portrait artists?

... Mathew Brady was known for the "Brady Imperial," which he invented in 1856. This technology consisted of large photographic portraits that were enhanced with oil paint.

Question 16 of 21

Which of the following famous people did not sit for a Brady portrait session?

... Both Samuel Morse and Edgar Allen Poe were Brady customers. Morse was an old friend of Brady's, and helped inspire his interest in photography.

Question 17 of 21

Fact or fiction: Mathew Brady became quite wealthy thanks to his Civil War photography.

... Fiction: Brady lived a comfortable life prior to his efforts to document the Civil War. His war photography left him destitute, and he died penniless.

Question 18 of 21

Which one-time Brady assistant is sometimes called the "Mathew Brady of the South"?

... George S. Cook started off working for Brady and later managed his New York studio. He is also credited with taking the first Civil War photo in 1861.

Question 19 of 21

How much did Brady spend as part of his effort to document the Civil War?

... Brady caught more than 10,000 images of the war. He self-financed his efforts to the tune of $100,000.

Question 20 of 21

In what year did Mathew Brady, born in 1822, die?

... Mathew Brady was in a carriage accident in 1895, where he broke both of his legs. He died the next year, alone in a charity hospital.

Question 21 of 21

How much did the U.S. government spend for the rights to Mathew Brady's images of the Civil War?

... After Brady could no longer afford to store his photographs and negatives, the U.S. War Department bought the images at a storage auction for a little more than $2,000. The U.S. government later awarded Brady $25,000 for his work, which was just enough to cover his debts.

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