Mathew Brady (1822-96) was a well-known 19th-century American photographer who was celebrated for his portraits of politicians and his photographs of the American Civil War (1861-65). In addition to his own work, Brady employed a team of assistants who fanned out across the country to capture the war. Together, they produced more than 10,000 images of the conflict, and brought the gruesome realities of warfare home to the American public.