Introduction /
Task / Process /
Conclusion /
Congress /
Evaluation /
Credits
/ For Teachers
Introduction
When you think of The Civil
War, what visual images come into your mind? Chances are
that some of these images are photographs. Since you have
studied The Civil War, you know that it was the bloodiest
conflict in United States history. Families were
separated; towns were burned. Over 600,000 men were killed.
And...much of it was captured in photographs for the world
to see, thanks to Mathew Brady, one of America's first
professional photographers.
In this WebQuest, you will
get to know Mathew Brady, the child of Irish immigrants who
became determined to make a career out of this exciting, new
invention. You'll learn a little about the history of
photography, and about the challenges of photographing The
Civil War. You will consider how Americans responded when they saw the true devastation of battle
with their own eyes.
The cost to outfit teams of
photographers during the War was immense. Following the War,
Brady was drowning in debt. The demand for his photos had
not begun to cover his wartime expenses, and the United
States government had not offered to buy the collection as
Brady had assumed they would.
As you begin this WebQuest,
consider the question: Would purchasing the large collection
of photographs taken during the Civil War be a worthy
investment? Should the United States government buy
and preserve these images as part of the American record?
Task
The year is 1868. In a room
of the United States Capitol, you scan the many photographs
being exhibited to you and your colleagues. You stand
amazed.
For the first time in
American history, a war has been captured in pictures, made
possible by an invention called "photography"! The hundreds
of images you are viewing show the War as it really
happened: bloody battles, ravaged towns, fleeing slaves. You
see pictures of guns and canons, amputees, boy soldiers, and
field hospitals. You see the dead being carted away.
Is a picture really "worth a
thousand words"? That's what you're going to decide. You,
sir or madam, are now a Representative of the United States
Congress. The War is over. The famed photographer Mr.
Mathew Brady has petitioned Congress to purchase the entire
collection of photographs taken by his studios during The
Civil War. If you do not, Brady will be forced to declare
bankruptcy. How will you vote?
Voting will take place during
our class mock session of the House of Representatives. As a
member of Congress, it is your duty to vote intelligently.
Learn as much as you can about Mr. Brady and his staff,
about the process of photography and about the Brady
Studio's collection of Civil War images. Be prepared to
reflect in writing on what you learn.
Be prepared to speak in favor
of or against the petition during our session, defending
your position with evidence.
Process
Before you begin,
make sure to print the Reflections pages. Information to help
you complete your Reflections can be found by traveling
through Steps 1-3 below, and carefully examining each
website along the way.
Reflections
Pages
Step One: Getting to
Know Mathew Brady & COMPANY
Go
to the following sites and completely read these biographies of
Mathew
Brady. Then you will be ready to answer the questions about
him on your Reflections sheets.
A. Library of
Congress: Brady Biographical Note
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/cwbrady.html
B. Wikipedia: Mathew Brady
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathew_Brady
C. National
Portrait Gallery: A Biographical Timeline
http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/brady/timeline/timeli2.htm
D.
National Portrait Gallery: Index of Sitters
http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/brady/gallery/bradindx.html#two
E. History of
Photography (Leggat): Mathew Brady
http://www.rleggat.com/photohistory/history/brady.htm
To gather a full
picture of Brady, you must know his
partner/competitor as well.
Read these biographies
of Alexander Gardner, and then return to your Reflections pages.
F. Wikipedia:
Alexander Gardner
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Gardner_(photographer)#_note-Hagen
G. History of
Photography (Leggat): Alexander Gardner
http://www.rleggat.com/photohistory/history/gardner.htm
Photojournalism--Ethics
H. Ethics of
Photojournalism: Civil War Manipulations http://commfaculty.fullerton.edu/lester/writings/chapter6.html
Scroll down to the heading "Civil War Manipulations".
Read the first four paragraphs of this section for
information on BOTH Brady and Gardner.
manipulate--to
adapt or change to suit one's purpose or advantage.
(www.dictionary.com)
I. Library of
Congress: Does the Camera Ever Lie?
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/cwpcam/cwcam1.html
Step Two: Early Photography and
Its Challenges
When Mathew
Brady arrived in New York, photography was a new technology,
kind of like Blue Tooth technology is new today. Taking a
picture in 1850 wasn't as easy as point-and-click...it was a
longer, more
complicated process. Visit the sites below to
learn about early photography. Then you'll be able to answer
the questions on part two of your Reflections sheets.
J.
National Portrait Gallery: Making a Photograph During
the Brady Era
http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/brady/animate/photitle.html
Follow all of the steps
in this 4 page animated lesson.
K.
National Portrait Gallery: What is Daguerreotype?
http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/brady/dag/daguer.htm
L.
Library of Congress: Taking Pictures During the Civil
War
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/cwtake.html
Step Three: A War In
pictures
Before
the Civil War began, some Americans thought that going to
war would be a glamorous thing. During the First Battle
of Bull Run, some crazy sightseers even came out to
watch the fighting...bringing picnics! They got more than
they bargained for--when they saw young men were actually
getting shot, they turned and ran home! Most Americans never
saw a battle, but photographs that came back from the Front
showed them all the carnage and destruction that defines
war.
In Step Three,
you will examine for yourself some of the many pictures of
The Civil War that Americans of the 1860s saw. Then you will
read what one newspaper at the time printed about these photographs.
Then you'll be ready to draw your own conclusions about
Brady and his famous photos.
You will need to print out TWO copies
of the Photographic Analysis Worksheet (link below) in order
to complete this activity.
Photograph Analysis
Worksheet
M.
Library of Congress: Civil War Photographs
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/cwphome.html
Click
browse by
subject to begin viewing.
N.
National Archives: Civil War Photos
http://www.archives.gov/research/civil-war/photos/
O.
PBS: Images of the War
http://www.pbs.org/civilwar/images/
This resource has 3
separate parts: Telling Details, Telling a Story, and
Image Browser. You will use all three.
Congress
Is Now In Session!!! The
Year Is 1868.
Resolved: The United
States government should purchase Mr. Brady's entire
collection for the sum of 50,000. Our nation is indebted
to Mr. Brady for producing a photographic record of a
bleak time in our nation's past.
To be prepared to speak
and vote in class, review your Reflections pages
and evaluate all the evidence you have gained through
the WebQuest.
Conclusion
Wow. You've
completed online portion of this activity. Now you
understand daguerreotype
and the challenges of early photography. I bet you appreciate your digital camera a whole lot
more! You've seen--and really thought about--pictures
of Americans who, just like you, had families, and friends,
and hopes for the future. You even made your own Civil War
film! Congratulations.
What do you
think? Do photographs help bring the past to life? Do
photographs make United States history more real and
believable?
If you have
enjoyed viewing the past through images, there is so much
more for you to see! Here are some great starting
points:
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html
American Memory at the Library of Congress is probably the
largest collection anywhere of primary sources from our
past: documents, letters, photographs, movies, songs, and
much more. Search or just browse the collections. Check out
the old Coca-cola advertisements!
http://www.archives.gov/
The National Archives...you'll find a lot just by browsing
here too!
Evaluation
WebQuest Evaluation
Checklist
PROCESS--Online:
On task
2 points
Reflections pages (total of)
30 points
Photograph Analysis sheets complete
8 points (4 points each)
PRODUCT--Class Congressional Session
Prepared to speak based on evidence
18 points
Focused and attentive to others
2 points
This WebQuest (the process and the product together) are
worth a total of 60 points.
Credits
To the best of my knowledge, all
archival images shown on this page are in the public domain.
They can be retrieved from
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/cwphome.html.
Information on Matthew Brady, Alexander
Gardner and Civil War photography has come from the above
websites that are self-citing.
Photograph Analysis Worksheet.
National Archives and Records Administration.
Accessed 6/15/07.
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/photo.html?template=print
Webquest created by
Susan Drumm June
2007.
Riverside School
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