Welsh Miners, Wales 1950

Smith was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1918, resided in New York City and died in Tucson, AZ in 1978.

Known for:
Powerful photographic essays for Life Magazine including Spanish Village, Country Doctor, Nurse Midwife, A Man of Mercy, Pittsburgh, WWII battle scenes.

Most Popular Images:
A Walk to Paradise Garden, 1946; Tomoko and her Mother, Minamata, Japan, 1972..

Did you know ... ?
By the time he was 23 years old, Smith had published 370 photo essays and photographs in the most prestigous international magazines. Smith suffered pain throughout his life; he was injured while on a photography assignment in WWII. While working on his last series on industrial pollution in Minimata, Japan, corporate thugs had him beaten up.

Quote:
His vocation, he once said, was to do nothing less than record by word and photograph, the human condition.

General Format:
Primarily 8” x 10” and 11” x 14” Silver Gelatin photographs. There a few 16” x 20” and a few mural size photographs.

How many photographs exist?
His photographs are extremely rare, many are editions of 50 or less.

Prices:
$2,000-$35,000

How are the photographs printed and signed?
Smith meticulously printed his own photographs and signed them au reco in the lower left or right corner with a stylus. He also titled and/or signed them on the mount.

Vintage:
Yes, vintage photographs exist and are occasionally available.

Technical Information:
Smith exposed his images for the highlights and let his shadows go black; the highlights are harsh, often bleached, but the prints overall are extremely dark, giving them a distinct, characteristic tonal quality.

Availability:
A Gallery has several unique images.

Authenticity is guaranteed. Prices and availability are subject to change without prior notice.

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