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Guide to the Bradley Smith Collection
MS-0239
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Table of contents
Collection Title: Bradley Smith Collection
Dates: 1962-1988
Identification: MS-0239
Creator:
Smith, Bradley, 1910-1997
Physical Description: 15.00 linear ft
Language of Materials:
English
Repository:
Special Collections & University Archives
5500 Campanile Dr. MC 8050
San Diego, CA, 92182-8050
URL: http://library.sdsu.edu/scua
Email: scref@rohan.sdsu.edu
Phone: 619-594-6791
Bradley Smith was born on June 30, 1910 in New Orleans, LA. He and his family moved to Karnes City, Texas when Smith was
a child. He began taking photographs of ranchers and cowboys who came through Karnes City at the age of 12.
During the 1940's while living in New York, Smith began working as a photographer for
Life magazine. He also worked as a freelance photographer for several other publications, including
Time,
The Saturday Evening Post,
American Heritage, and
Vogue. Considered one of the earliest photojournalists, Smith also worked as an editor for
Time magazine, and wrote and illustrated 23 books. His books covered a wide range of topics from erotica to wildlife to foreign
countries. He is also known for photographing well-known public figures like Helen Keller, Mahatma Gandhi, and Harry S. Truman
as well as jazz musicians Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong.
In 1944, Smith formed the American Society of Magazine Photographers, or ASMP, an organization created to help photographers
retain rights to their own work. Still active today, the ASMP, now the American Society of Media Photographers, "promotes
photographers' rights, educates photographers in better business practices, produces business publications for photographers
and helps buyers find professional photographers."
Bradley Smith died of throat cancer in 1997 at the age of 87 in La Jolla, CA.
This collection is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.
Personal Papers
Publications
Smith, Bradley, 1910-1997 -- Archives
Photographers -- United States -- Biography -- Sources
Photography, Artistic
The copyright interests in these materials have not been transferred to San Diego State University. Copyright resides with
the creators of materials contained in the collection or their heirs. The nature of historical archival and manuscript collections
is such that copyright status may be difficult or even impossible to determine. Requests for permission to publish must be
submitted to the Head of Special Collections, San Diego State University, Library and Information Access. When granted, permission
is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical item and is not intended to include or imply permission
of the copyright holder(s), which must also be obtained in order to publish. Materials from our collections are made available
for use in research, teaching, and private study. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including
but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials.
This collection is open for research.
Identification of item, folder title, box number, Bradley Smith Collection, Special Collections and University Archives, Library
and Information Access, San Diego State University.
The
Bradley Smith Collection documents the career of photographer and writer Bradley Smith. The collection dates from 1962-1988. It consists entirely
of paper records. The collection documents Smith's professional career through correspondence, research materials, book drafts,
mockups, and photographs. The entire collection is grouped into one series:
Project Files.
The
Project Files series documents Smith's research from 1962-1988. The series covers twenty-two of Smith's books written and published between
1962 and 1988. These books include:
The American Way of Sex: an informal illustrated history;
Art for Children;
Columbus in the New World;
Erotic Art of the Masters: 18th, 19th, 20th Centuries;
Escape to the West Indies: a guidebook to the islands of the Caribbean; and
Life of the Animals (a series of books on wildlife). Significant to this collection are book reviews of Smith's work, correspondence with various
people and organizations, and outlines and notes related to his research. Also included are files on projects, project ideas,
stories, research material, and general/miscellaneous information. This series is arranged alphabetically by book title.
Some of the files are also organized alphabetically; others have no distinct organization.