Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Item
Title
Portrait of Peter Skene Ogden
Date(s)
- 1850? (Creation)
Extent
daguerreotypes (photographs); cased photographs; 5.5 x 4.25 inches
Name of creator
Biographical history
Brady first learned the art of photography in 1841, where he studied with Samuel B. Morse at the New York Academy of Design and at Morse's own daguerreotype school. Brady opened a daguerreotype studio in New York City, New York in 1844, where over the years he concentrated on portraits, most notably famous contemporary Americans, such as the statesman Henry Clay. In 1847, with his business flourishing, Brady opened another portrait studio in Washington, D.C. In 1860, Brady opened the largest of his galleries, called the National Portrait Gallery, and in that year took his first of many famous portraits of Abraham Lincoln. In 1861, Brady requested permission to document the Civil War. From 1861 to 1865, he organized teams of photographers attached to all parts of the United States Army who documented battles, officers and equipment. Brady and his team were able to cover all the battles and events of the war, which include portraits of Generals Grant and Lee, as well as unflinching images of dead soldiers. Brady approached the state concerning purchasing his collection, but it wasn't until 1875, after a vote in Congress, that the War Department of the United States purchased part of his Civil War collection of glass negatives. The purchase came too late, as Brady was reduced to poverty, selling the last of his galleries in 1895.
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
Cased photograph featuring a portrait of Peter Skene Ogden, British-Canadian fur trader and explorer. He wears a suit. Embossment on velvet lining inside of case reads, "Brady's Gallery, 209 & 207, Broadway, New York." Case is made of wood and leather.
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
No Copyright - United States: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/
Physical access
Technical access
Conditions governing reproduction
Languages of the material
- English
Scripts of the material
Language and script notes
Finding aids
Acquisition and appraisal elements
Custodial history
Immediate source of acquisition
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Accruals
Related materials elements
Existence and location of originals
Cased photographs collection, Org. Lot 1414, Box 225, 0225S004, case interior