Using photographs to document the Civil War was right up Mathew Brady’s alley. In the 1840s, he had created a photographic catalogue of America’s most distinguished citizens, and his influence became such that Lincoln could say, “Brady and the Cooper Union speech made me president.” It was Brady’s art that helped Lincoln gain a national reputation before the 1860 election. Now, Brady brought the war—remote and unseen—to the people, and the war, the president, and the photographer will forever be entwined in our imaginations. Just as a photographer frames his subject, Armstrong frames hers, focusing on the war in Virginia and photographers based in New York City and Washington. The narrative is chock full of fascinating details, many drawn from soldiers’ diaries and letters, and photographs are liberally sprinkled throughout the volume. Extensive picture credits and a useful bibliography round out a handsome volume sure to be a fixture in Civil War collections. (source notes, index) (Nonfiction. 9-14)
