Brady's National Gallery of Daguerreotypes
c. 1852
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Accession Number
AD/NPG.2015.7
About this artwork
In this advertisement, Mathew Brady proclaimed his Broadway gallery to be “one of the largest and best arranged in the world” and cited his numerous awards as confirmation that he was “second to no Daguerrean in this or any other country.”
Art Historical Context
Step into the bustling world of 1850s New York with *Brady's National Gallery Daguerreotypes*, a printed advertisement from around 1852. Created by an unidentified artist, this print hails Mathew Brady's Broadway gallery as "one of the largest and arranged in the world." Brady, a pioneering daguerreotypist, boldly claimed his studio was "second to nouerrean in this or other country," backing his boast with citations of prestigious awards. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection, this piece captures the competitive spirit of early photography studios vying for elite clientele...