The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-03-24
BRADY'S GALLERY.


am not about to write "puff." wish
this to be distinctly understood, so that if this
article be of puffy nature, it may not be at
tributed to original design. have never been
photographed by Brady. do not expect ever
to attain such distinction; or, if should be
handed down to posterity by that enterprising
gentleman, l expect to pay just as many dollars
for value received as if were not now engaged
in perpetrating this notice.
But CHANGING, few months ago, to observe
the clarum ct renera6ile nomen of Brady con
spicuopsly displayed on Pennsylvania avenue
a name with which we have become familiar in
the column of the Home Journal, where N. p.
Willis, in eonvulsive contortions of despair at
being unable to show his appreciation of its
owners excellence, has twisted and Brady'd it
into all manner of intolerable puns, Except
this,) " stepped in +" to see if the proprietor
of Idlewild had uttered personal truth or a
professional fib. After repeated visits, / have
arrived at conclusion highly favorable to Mr..
Willis's moral character.
1t is no exaggeration to say that that little
room contains treasures which are beyond price.
This wonderful art of Photography, this true
child of the sun, lastborn and fairest, has
caught expression and traced form and feature
with most delicate and accurate pencil. On
the right, as you enter, you meet a troupe OF
beautiful women Miss Lane, with character
in every feature of her fine face, in the pose Of
the spirited head, and the firm, erect figure
Lady Napier, with her two fresh young English
boys, beautiful exceedingly" yet with all the
mother over-shining the lady, and q tender, sor-
rowful, yet sweet and sanity womanhood, hal
lowing all: the wonderfully preserved beauty
of Mrs. Crittenden, face as warm, and soft,
and full, as sixteen, and shaded by girlhoods
abundant tresses Mrs. Samuel, of Missouri,
modest and retiring, but very attractive Mrs.
Conrad, pretty, handsome even, but rather in
expressive and commonplace Mrs. Collins, of
Arkansas, who would look better if she were
dressed Lady Gore Ouseley, traditional fe-
male Englishwoman': the Incompatible Mad
anne LIE Vert, just ready to chain you, willing
captive, to her triumphal car. by one of her dex.
terously turned impromptu compliments. These
are no pale, colorless, or discolored names, with
the severe and sombre daguerreotype expires.
sion, but reproduction, as it were, of the fair
originals even to the fall of the rich velvet, the
sweep of the pearly satin, the fretwork of lace,
and the soft, natural tints that belong to each.
On the left, Brady himself, whose spell has
evoked all these spirits, presides over the scene,
as large as life. His picture is exhibited as a
triumph Of Photographic art over some mechan-
ical difficulty that has long stood in the way of
perfection. 1t has all been explained to me,
lucidly and philosophically, but forgot it sys-
tematically and completely the next moment,
and of course can give you neither difficulty nor
know there aoas triumph of
something over something. If you are of an in
turn of mind, Mr.. Brady, whose life
is devoted to the benevolent desire of giving
Ply to afford you the requisite information-I
presume.
Here, on your left, and in front, is mob of
the thinkers, and workers, and few of the
idlers, of our own day and generation, furnish.
ing an almost boundless field for the study
of character. Here is Charles Sumner, the
scholar, the gentleman, alas that we may say,
the martyr-Clingman, spruce and serene, not
in the least, as a couple of young ladies, with
whom he had been chatting in the Senate con-
corning the fatigue of bearing the Government
on his shoulders, asserted, after he had left
them, "Poor man, he looks worn out" n. B.
Clingman is bachelor. Hinc lilac signs and
sympathy. Here is Lord Napier, rather hand
some and we beg his Lordship's pardon-rather
heavy. James Buchanan, benefcent in white
eravat and black coat, clerical, mild, and com
plaeent. Here, we are fain to believe, the mil
lennium has come, seeing the lions and lambs
of the Senate lying down together in one plate,
Breckenridge attheir head, like a mother hen
brooding her chickens, and looking so decided
ly uncomfortable, hot, and crowded, that we
fancy him singing the old nursery rhyme
There once was n cobbler who lived in comb
And all that he wanted ebow-room"
The picture has not yet received its finishing
touches, which may account for the somewhat
gray look which Breckenridge wears-Breck-
inridge, who ought to be President, if there is
any merit in ayoirdupois breckenridge. who
walks every inch kng-handsome in face,
commanding in port and mien-and truly he
needs it all, to preside over the unruly group
surrounding him. Down in the right hand
cornef Toombs scowls defiance at House that
refuses to be eu-Toombed alive, and can hardly
keep his hands off the sturdy and unbendinp
Doolittle, in dangerous proximity to that right
list of his. Over the heads of the nervous
Trumbull and the imperturbable Seward smiles
the amiabie face of Benjamin. Indeed, one
can hardly conceive the face of BENJAMIN with
out smile, and when he walks into Havana.
with the lash in one hand and the blunderbuss
in the other, he will doubtless shoot down con.
tumacious Cubans and " chastise !" refractory
slaves with a most angelic grin. Near the cen
tire sits John P. Hale, looking as cross as he
can look and that, by the way, is toerably cross.
but the last two may serve as correctives to
each other. The price of this plate is only ten
dollars. and the same, on a smaller scale, is TO
be prepared for three dollars.
A few of these hkenesses do not do ;ust;ee
to the original. Mr.. Lovejoy, for instance. one
might fancy to have just been detected in a
grease-spot on his new coat, and to be re.
ceiving from the maternal Lovejoy severe re.
proof therefor, so very perspiring, and meek,
and conscious, is his eountenance. Now. we
all know that is not his habitual look. How.
ever he may stand affected towards the female
population, he certainly has not the fear of man
before his eyes. Miss Lizzy Hale's picture also
1--WE believe it is now removed) gives but faint