No Fortune for the War's Famous Photographer
Battlefield Photos Made Brady Famous—and Bankrupt
Brady struggled to keep his business going after the Civil War ended, but mounting debts finally caught up with him during a national recession in 1873, causing him to file for bankruptcy. Brady had actually been on shaky ground financially since an earlier recession in 1857, says Keith Davis, author of the upcoming book The Origins of American Photography. Part of Brady's problem was that he resisted changing with the times. In targeting the deep pockets of the elite, he had developed the "imperial" print—a large portrait that sometimes cost $500, an astonishing price for the time. But just before the war, small-format prints had started selling to much wider audiences. "It was the bread-and-butter market," Davis says. Brady was slow to accept this, unlike his former assistant, Alexander Gardner, who proved a shrewd businessman.
Failing health, his wife's death, and alcohol also took their toll on Brady. Still, historians wonder why Brady's talent and reputation couldn't save his business. Perhaps his technology was dated and his debts too great. Or perhaps, as a purveyor of fame for himself and his subjects, Brady was just an early victim of fleeting modern celebrity.
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