Biographical Materials
name: label: Collection Artist
content: Smith, Art, 1917-1982
setName: label: See more items in
content: Art Smith Archive
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1909-2003
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The Biographical Materials series (1909-2003) documents the history of Arthur Smith's parents and family when he was young, throughout his lifetime, and posthumously after his funeral when Charles Russell, Arthur's partner, lived with and cared for Ina Smith Gordon, Arthur Smith's sister. The series includes several family photographs, notably photographs from two family albums. Additionally, this series documents Arthur Smith's personal life through photographs and correspondence with friends such as Talley Beatty, and items related to his interests in jazz, dance, and art. The series also documents Charles Russell's personal interests and life with Arthur, and his activities after Arthur's death in 1982. 

Materials in this collection include photographs, documents, correspondence, maps, medical records, emigration records, personal finance records, an art book created by Arthur Smith related to Frank Shay, and a large broadside advertising a Katherine Dunham Dancers performance.

This series is arranged in four subseries: 

Subseries 1.1: Family Papers, 1909-2003

Subseries 1.2: Family Photographs, 1920-1995, undated

Subseries 1.3: Personal Photographs, 1934-1982

Subseries 1.4: Personal Papers, circa 1942-1982