W. Eugene Smith
1918–1978

Introduction

William Eugene Smith (December 30, 1918 – October 15, 1978) was an American photojournalist. He has been described as "perhaps the single most important American photographer in the development of the editorial photo essay." His major photo essays include World War II photographs, the visual stories of an American country doctor and a nurse midwife, the clinic of Albert Schweitzer in French Equatorial Africa, the city of Pittsburgh, and the pollution which damaged the health of the residents of Minamata in Japan. His 1948 series, Country Doctor, photographed for Life, is now recognized as "the first extended editorial photo story".

Wikidata identifier

Q551491

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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

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Information from the Getty Research Institute's Union List of Artist Names ® (ULAN), made available under the ODC Attribution License. Accessed December 6, 2024.


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