Roger B. Smith Photograph collection
Scope and Content Note
Photographic archives of Roger Bernard Smith. Subjects include Rochester politicians, arts and culture, celebrities, construction, recreation, landmarks, street scenes. Of special note are photos of Jimmy Carter at RIT, Tom Frey, Betty Friedan, Avon Inn fire.
Dates
- Creation: 1967-1991
Access
There are no restructions regarding access to this collection.
Use
Photographs must be used according to library policy and are not to be sold.
Biographical Note
Roger Bernard Smith was a commercial photographer in Rochester, New York, born October 27, 1922. Almost wholly self-taught, he took up photography while studying painting and sculpture. Professionally, he spent at least part of his career as a staff photographer in the public relations department at SUNY Geneseo. Besides his commercial work, Smith did practice art photography, including a solo showing of photographs from Northern California at the Rundel Library in 1967. A resident of Avon before moving to Kendall, he relocated to Zephyr Hills, Florida in retirement. His wife was Evelyn Joyce, with whom he had three children: Larry, Tracy and Catherine. He passed away on May 10, 1997.
Extent
1.5 Cubic Feet (4 boxes) : Boxes 1-3 contain black & white proof sheets. Box 4 contains color slides.
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This photographic archive of Roger Bernard Smith's work comprises color slides, black & white negatives, and contact sheets representing 1,000+ photographs. The collection provides visual insight into an underdocumented period of the Rochester/Monroe County area over a 25-year period.
Arrangement
Collection retains its original order and is arranged by invoice #/shootdate. The contact sheets and negatives were received in three binders; boxes 1 through 3 correspond to each of these binders. A detailed inventory of these boxes is located in Box 1. Box 4 consists of 35mm color slides.
The contents of this collection are arranged in two series:
Series I: Contact Sheets and Negatives
Series II: 35mm Slides
Custodial History
The Roger B. Smith photograph collection was donated to RPL on August 21, 1994, by Roger Bernard Smith.
Bibliography
Ancestry.com. Florida Death Index, 1877-1998 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.
"Painter Shifts to Camera." Democrat & Chronicle (newspaper), Rochester, New York. December 9, 1967, page 2.
"Smith, Roger B." Democrat & Chronicle (newspaper), Rochester, New York. May 17, 1997, page 14.
Physical Description
Good
- Title
- Guide to the Roger B. Smith Photograph Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Cheri Crist created the minimal finding aid in 2014. Brandon Fess and Noeme Liestman updated and expanded the incomplete finding aid in 2020 and 2022.
- Date
- 2014; 2020 and 2022
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
- roger smith photo items
Repository Details
Part of the Local History & Genealogy Division Repository
115 South Ave.
Rochester 14604 USA
585-428-8370
585-428-8353 (Fax)
lochistref@libraryweb.org