Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-28

the most remarkable he ever saw seen through
the camera-it was startling. Mr.. Brady made
a sitting Of Mr.. Calhoun for a small picture for
a child to be put in locket He was then
boarding at Miss Cochrane's, think. opposite
the Ebbitt House, and the child was one he
took fancy to, and she asked him for bis pic
ture, and he came at once to Mr.. Brady and
made the sacrifice of his valuable time TO
crafty the little ono. Mr.. Calhoun was one Of
the best and purest men this country has pro-
duced, and Mr.. Peter Harvey, in his biography
of Mr.. Webster, says, not long before his
death, he asked Mr.. Webster who was the
greatest man he had met in public life, and
after a few moments' pause he said: "John
C. Calhoun. He was one Of the best men !
ever knew and one of the longest headed"
GEN. GRANTS FIRST SITTING.
When Gen. Grant came to Washington to
take command Of the army Mr.. Brady says Mr..
Hanscomb. Mr.. Crounce and some other gentle
men of the press came to him and said Gen.
Grant would arrive at q certain hour and asked
Brady if he could recognize him, a. at that
time no one had seen him here. On the arrival
Of the train Mr.. Brady recognized him from
some pictures he had seen, as he had been in
correspondence with Gen. Rawlings to obtain q
picture of the general when he reached Wash
ington. No one beng there to meet Gen.
as the general had made no arrangements that
Wizards was the rendezvous Of the army, and
they put him and Gen. Rawlings in q carriage,
and, taking another. preceded him to an.
nounce his coming. After he had registered
Mr.. Brady said to him, General, the desire to
obtain your portrait is so universal hope you
will favor me with a sitting as early as you can
conveniently"
Gen. Grant replied, Certainly" he would
come tomorrow, but could not fix
come. Mr.. Brady waited anxiously with
his operators prepared to take every view
of him possible, and it was not until o'clock
that he arrived at the gallery, and with him
came Mr.. Stanton. 1t was growing late and
the light losing its brightness every minute
almost, but as the plates had been prepared
the general went at once to the skylight room.
The shade there had been darkened by q mat
ting thrown over it, but, as the light was none
too bright, Mr.. Brady ordered one Of his men
to remove the mating, and in doing so he fell
through the skylight and the thick plate glass
fell all around Gen. Grant, who sat perfectly
unmoved, while Mr.. Stanton grew white as a
sheet, and grasping Brady by the arm, after
they found the general was unframed, said:
Not word about this, Brady; not q word.
The papers will say it was designedly done to
injure Gen. Grant"
KENMORE COOPER GOT MAD.
Mr.. Brady experience with James Fennimore
Cooper was one Of some interest. An assistant
had obtained Mr.. Coopers reluctant consent
to sit for picture, and while posing and pre-
pairing the plate, which then required some
time, he thought to make himself agreeable to
Mr.. Cooper by talking to him. This was at
the time when Mr.. Cooper had had some trou-
bic with his publisher, Mr.. Scribner, and this
person expressed his view of the affair in SYM
patty with Mr.. Cooper, who jumped up from
the chair and rushed from the gallery. He re-
fused for years to sit for picture. Some
from Mr.. Bryant, called on him at Bixbys
Hotel, then corner Of Park place and Broadway,
expecting refusal. but determined to use all
his powers Of persuasion to secure picture Of
him. To his astonishment he was received very
kindly; said he would dress and 20 with him
Immediately. The very fine picture Of him
Mr.. Brady has on his walls is the result Of that
sitting.
He was not so fortunate with Washington Irv-
ing, however, and could only get one sitting from
him. 1t is an admirable picture ofhim, though.
He would come into the gallery generally with
Mr.. Putnam, about dusk, when too late to sit.
Edgar A. Poe came into the gallery with Mr..
Ross Wallace, the poet, one day, and was intro
duced to Mr.. Brady, who invited him to sit for
picture, but he declined, said ne would come
some other time. made an excuse for his dress,
but Mr.. Wallace insisted that he should sit then,
andafter some hesitation he sat for the admirable
picture in the gallery. John Howard Payne was
afrequent visitor and Mr.. Brady obtained several
sittings from him. Mr.. Brady was then about
publishing the gallery of illustrious Americans,
and had engaged Howard Payne to write the
sketches to accompany each portrait, but be-
fore the work was begun he received the ap-
pointment as consul to Tunis and went abroad.
Mr.. Payne was for several months a resident Of
Washington, and had rooms and boarded at the
house diagonallyopposite Riggs Bank and wrote
theatrical. musical and literary articles for the
National Iltelligencer. The very fine picture Of
Albert Gallatin was taken here when he was q
very old man whose quiet manner was most i'm
presslye.
GEN. LEE TAKEN IN RICHMOND.
Mr.. Brady regarded the highest compli-
ment he had received in his profession was
when Gen. Lee consented to sit for him the
day after his arrival in Richmond after the
surrender at Appomattox. The city was full of
people who had come to see Gen. Lee, but
through the kindly Offices Of Gen. Robt. Ould
and the then recorder Of Richmond, whose name
had escaped Mr. Brady's memory, Gen. Lee
gave him one hour, and during that time he
was posed for dozen pictures or more. Mr..
Brady said there was but little conversation
during that period, but with prompt
ness the general changed his position as
desired and the pictures obtained Of him are
among the best in the gallery. Some time ago
met my old friend VIM Swinton, the historian,
and in the course of conversation asked
him, as he was telling us Of having visited Gen.
Lee at the university, what he thought Of Gen.
Lee. He said unhesitatingly he was the great
est man he had ever met. He said he impressed
him on some business connected with his his
tory and Gen. Lee said to him. 81 do not talk Of
the war" Mr.. Swinton, ''but if you ask me any
questions will answer them if deem il proper"
No question was asked to which the general did
not respond fully, and from that interview Mr.
Swinton obtained very valuable information.
ADMIRABLE PICTURES OF GEN. SCOTT.
Mr.. Brady has some admirable pictures Of
Gen. Scott One, very fine one, was taken on
the porch Of the house just above the War De-
partment, now gone, where the general had his
headquarters. He is surrounded by his staff
and is in full uniform, and it is remarkable from
the fact it was the last time he appeared in uni
form, as he resigned soon after. When Mr.
Brown obtained the order for the statue Of
Gen. Scott in Scott Square in this city he en-
gagged Mr.. Brady to take several pictures Of the
general. One of them was OF the general
stripped to the waist, and while undergoing
that operation at the hands of his valet he
pointed out to Mr.. Brady q very bad scar on
his shoulder where he had been wounded at
"Lundys Lane" Several pictures were taken
Of the general while thus disrobed and then he
was taken in full uniform and Mr.. Brady de-
clares he felt some apprehension that his sky
\ Light was not high enough, he lowered so much
above any one who had been in the gallery be-
/ fore.
Mr.. Brady said while he was with the general
making these pictures and the general in his
| ''undress uniform" the message came that Mrs.
/ Fanny Kemble and Rev. DIR. Bellows were in the
| 1y haA hoe g. l.