▁The ▁photograph s ▁include ▁Lincoln , ▁Grant , ▁and ▁soldiers ▁in ▁cam ps ▁and ▁battle fields . ▁The ▁images ▁provide ▁a ▁p ict orial ▁cross ▁reference ▁of ▁American ▁Civil ▁War ▁history . ▁Br ady ▁was ▁not ▁able ▁to ▁photograph ▁actual ▁battle ▁scenes , ▁as ▁the ▁phot ographic ▁equipment ▁in ▁those ▁days ▁was ▁still ▁in ▁the ▁inf ancy ▁of ▁its ▁technical ▁development ▁and ▁required ▁that ▁a ▁subject ▁be ▁still ▁for ▁a ▁clear ▁photo ▁to ▁be ▁produced . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁conflict , ▁a ▁war - we ary ▁public ▁lost ▁interest ▁in ▁seeing ▁photos ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁and ▁Br ady ' s ▁popular ity ▁and ▁practice ▁decl ined ▁dr ast ically . ▁ ▁Later ▁years ▁and ▁death ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁war , ▁Br ady ▁spent ▁over ▁$ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁create ▁over ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁pl ates . ▁He ▁expected ▁the ▁US ▁government ▁to ▁buy ▁the ▁photograph s ▁when ▁the ▁war ▁ended . ▁When ▁the ▁government ▁refused ▁to ▁do ▁so ▁he ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁sell ▁his ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁studio ▁and ▁go ▁into ▁bank rupt cy . ▁Congress ▁granted ▁Br ady ▁$ 2 5 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 5 , ▁but ▁he ▁remained ▁deeply ▁in ▁deb t . ▁The ▁public ▁was ▁unw illing ▁to ▁dwell ▁on ▁the ▁gru es omen ess ▁of ▁the ▁war ▁after ▁it ▁had ▁ended , ▁and ▁so ▁private ▁collect ors ▁were ▁scar ce . ▁De pressed ▁by ▁his ▁financial ▁situation ▁and ▁loss ▁of ▁eyes ight ,