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Primary sourcePhotograph1855

President Martin Van Buren

Mathew B. Brady · 1855

A studio photograph by Mathew Brady showing the former president in retirement during the mid-1850s.

This photograph depicts Van Buren in retirement, years after his presidency ended.

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Sepia-toned studio portrait of an elderly man with white hair and whiskers, wearing a long double-breasted coat, white shirt and gloves, standing beside a small table with a marbled book on it, against a dark backdrop with tassels.
Mathew B. Brady, President Martin Van Buren, c. 1855. Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this source

What it is

This photograph was taken by Mathew B. Brady around 1855, showing Martin Van Buren as an elderly man standing beside a small table, dressed in a long coat. It is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Why it matters

By the time this photograph was taken, Van Buren had left the presidency and was living in retirement, reportedly disillusioned with the pro-Southern direction of the Democratic Party he had helped build. Brady's studio portraits are important records of major American political figures from this era.

Look closer

  • What does Van Buren's posture and clothing suggest about how he wanted to be remembered?
  • Why might a photographer in the 1850s pose a former president with a book?
  • What can't a photograph like this tell us about what Van Buren was thinking or feeling?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Martin Van Buren on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Daguerreotype Portrait of Martin Van Buren

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Martin Van Buren

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Front cover of a dark green cloth-bound book. A gold-stamped rectangular border frames the title reading 'The Autobiography of Martin Van Buren' with the line 'Edited by John C. Fitzpatrick' beneath it.Book

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The Autobiography of Martin Van Buren

Martin Van Buren · 1854–1862 (published 1920)

Brown cloth book cover with a Library of Congress call number label reading E 420 .F88 at top left, and a white Library of Congress barcode label reading 00005023312 with a red dot at lower left.Document

Secondary source

1848 Free Soil and Liberty National Conventions

1848

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