Cannon

Art Historical Context

This striking albumen silver print, titledCannon* and dated 1861–65, captures grim machinery of war during the American Civil War Attributed to pioneering photographer Mathew B. Brady his studio (listed as "Unknown" in some records), it hails from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Photographs collection, acquired through the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund 1933. Brady, often called the "father of American photography," dispatched teams of photographers to document the conflict, producing some of the first visual records that brought the horrors of battle to the public eye. The image focuses on a cannon, a symbol of the era's destructive firepower, evoking the brutal artillery duels that defined Civil War battlefields like Gettysburg and Antietam. Brady's work shifted photography from studio portraits to on-the-ground reportage, humanizing the abstract statistics of war—over 620,000 lives lost—and influencing public opinion against the conflict. Created via the wet collodion process on a glass negative, then printed on albumen-coated paper, this medium was revolutionary for its detail and portability. The subtle tonal range and sharp focus highlight the cannon's cold metal, inviting viewers to reflect on technology's role in human strife. A poignant reminder of history's toll, it underscores photography's power to preserve memory.

About the Artist

Mathew B. Brady|Unknown · 1823–1896

Mathew B. Brady (c. 1823–1896) was an American photographer who became the most famous photographer of the Civil War era and one of the founding figures of American photographic history. Born in Warren County, New York, to Irish immigrant parents, he learned the daguerreotype process from Samuel F.B. Morse and William Page and opened his first portrait studio in New York City in 1844. Brady quick...