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196
SMITH, W. EUGENE (1918-1978)
Bombed battleship, Marshall Island Campaign. Silver print, 14x19 1/2 inches (35.6x49.5 cm.), with an estate hand stamp on verso. 1944; printed 1950s-60s
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Notes: During World War II, Smith gained the trust of the soldiers he was assigned to photograph and was therefore able to get closer to the action than most photographers. When he returned from the war, he worked for Life creating some of his most memorable essays, like "The Country Doctor" and "A Man of Mercy." This photograph is reproduced in w. eugene smith, master of the photographic essay (New York, 1981), pl. 2:064.
W. Eugene Smith discovered his skills as a photojournalist while taking pictures of sporting events for his high school. His work was regularly published in the "Wichita Eagle." After a brief stint in college, Smith moved to New York where he hoped to build a career as a photojournalist. Almost immediately his photographs were published in "Newsweek," "Life," "Parade," "Collier's," and other photographically-illustrated magazines. He produced an enormous amount of work during this period and furthered the development of his ideology. Smith believed that photojournalists and editors alike should take responsibility for their work and the way it is used. To Smith, photography was a platform for expressing his moral beliefs. As he continued to work, he insisted on maintaining control of the design of his essays and that they be used in a manner he deemed appropriate. His photo-portrait of Pittsburgh and the projects he completed in Minamata and for Hitachi were in-depth explorations in which Smith's compassion and emotions about his subjects were fully realized.
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October 21, 2003 12:00 AM EDT
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