W. Eugene Smith

1918–1978

Introduction

Born 30 December 1918; died 15 October 1978. Smith took his first photographs in Wichita, Kansas for local newspapers from 1933 to 1935. From 1937 to 1938 Smith worked for Newsweek magazine as a photographer. In 1938/39 Smith worked as a freelance photographer for the Black Star photographic agency. Smith worked for Life magazine from 1939 to 1941. From 1942 to 1944 Smith worked as a war correspondent in the Pacific. From 1944 to 1954 Smith worked on photographic essays in Spain, United States, and Great Britain. From 1955 to 1958 Smith was a member of Magnum photographic agency in New York City, New York and in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. From 1957 to 1977 Smith worked as a freelance photographer in New York City, New York and Japan. In 1977 Smith moved to Tuscon, Arizona.

Country of birth

United States

Roles

Artist, photographer, photojournalist

ULAN identifier

500014888

Names

W. Eugene Smith, V. Yug'in Smit, V. Yugin Smit, Vilyam Yug'in Smit, Vilyam Yugin Smit, Yug'in Smit, Yugin Smit, Eugene Smith, Gene Smith, W Eugene Smith, William Eugen Smith, William Eugene Smith, William Eugène Smith, W. Yūjin Sumisu, Yūjin Sumisu, Vilyam Yugin, W. ユージンスミス, וו. יוג׳ין סמית

View the full Getty record

Information from the Getty Research Institute's Union List of Artist Names ® (ULAN), made available under the ODC Attribution License. Accessed December 19, 2025.

Not on view

First acquired
1993

API
artists/4034


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