Henry Holmes Smith, American, 1909-1986 As an educator, innovator, and writer, Henry Holmes Smith (born in Bloomington, Illinois) expanded the study and critical debate of photography as an art. Influenced by the teachings of László Moholy-Nagy, Smith devoted much of his photography to exploring principles of light refraction and color relation. Typical of his imagery is a series of dye transfer prints that depict globular abstractions made from syrup-coated glass negatives. The amorphous shapes invite both poetic readings and technical investigations into the nature of light and space. Smith studied at the State Normal College in Illinois (1927-29, 1930-31), the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (1929-30), and Ohio State University (B.S., 1933). He met Moholy-Nagy in 1937 and was invited to teach at the New Bauhaus school in Chicago (1937-38). After serving in the army during World War II (1942-45), Smith worked as a freelance photographer and had his first solo exhibition in 1946. In 1963, Smith became a founding member of the Society for Photographic Education. He made perhaps his greatest impact as an instructor at Indiana University (1945-77), where he counted among his pupils Betty Hahn, Jack Welpott, Robert Fichter, and Jerry Uelsmann. For his achievements, Smith received the university's Herman Frederick Lieber Distinguished Teaching Award (1968). A.W. Source: Cleveland Museum

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