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A National Archives Foundation educational resource using primary sources from the National Archives

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The Civil War as Photographed by Mathew Brady

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Making Connections

The Civil War can be viewed through a medium that was developing at the same time: photography. Mathew Brady and his associates photographed many battlefields, camps, towns, and people touched by the war. Due to technological limitations at the time, their images depict the multiple aspects of the war except one crucial element: battle.

Quickly scan the following images and choose 3 photos for deeper analysis to uncover aspects of a soldier’s life in the Civil War. For your 3 chosen photos, consider the following:

  • Study the photo for 2 minutes.
  • Create a chart listing the people, objects, and actions in the photo.
  • What can you infer from the photo?
  • What questions does this photo raise in your mind?
public-domain
To the extent possible under law, National Archives Foundation has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to “The Civil War as Photographed by Mathew Brady”