▁were ▁taken ▁by ▁his ▁assist ants , ▁rather ▁than ▁by ▁Br ady ▁himself . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁war , ▁these ▁pictures ▁went ▁out ▁of ▁fashion , ▁and ▁the ▁government ▁did ▁not ▁purchase ▁the ▁master - cop ies ▁as ▁he ▁had ▁anticip ated . ▁Br ady ' s ▁fort unes ▁decl ined ▁sharp ly , ▁and ▁he ▁died ▁in ▁deb t . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁Br ady ▁left ▁little ▁record ▁of ▁his ▁life ▁before ▁phot ography . ▁Spe aking ▁to ▁the ▁press ▁in ▁the ▁last ▁years ▁of ▁his ▁life , ▁he ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁born ▁between ▁ 1 8 2 2 ▁and ▁ 1 8 2 4 ▁in ▁Warren ▁County , ▁New ▁York , ▁near ▁Lake ▁George . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁young est ▁of ▁three ▁children ▁to ▁Irish ▁imm igr ant ▁parents , ▁Andrew ▁and ▁Sam anth a ▁Julia ▁Br ady . ▁In ▁official ▁documents ▁before ▁and ▁during ▁the ▁war , ▁however , ▁he ▁claimed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁born ▁himself ▁in ▁Ireland . ▁ ▁Career ▁At ▁age ▁ 1 6 , ▁Br ady ▁moved ▁to ▁Sar at oga , ▁New ▁York , ▁where ▁he ▁met ▁portrait ▁painter ▁William ▁Page ▁and ▁became ▁Page ' s ▁student . ▁In ▁ 1 8 3 9 , ▁the ▁two ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁Alb any , ▁New ▁York , ▁and ▁then ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁where ▁Br ady ▁continued ▁to ▁study ▁painting ▁with ▁Page , ▁and ▁also ▁with ▁Page ' s ▁former ▁teacher , ▁Samuel ▁F . ▁B . ▁Mor se . ▁Mor se ▁had