Talk:W. Eugene Smith

The Lede
I was surprised to read that W. Eugene Smith is known more for his unwillingness to compromise rather than his actual photography. I became aware of him through his Pittsburgh photography and what it captured. As I looked more into his work, I saw similarly stunning captures of humanity. It's the "behind the lens" "after the development" stuff that he's really known for? Huh? Who wrote the lede! Is this something that ICP would agree with?? Frank Lynch (talk) 02:24, 4 January 2012 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:WEugeneSmithLife04091945.jpg
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BetacommandBot (talk) 06:46, 21 January 2008 (UTC)

Attack
I copied this from the Minamata disease article, some should be integrated here obviously:


 * However, it was a dramatic photographic essay by W. Eugene Smith that brought world attention to Minamata disease. He and his Japanese wife lived in Minamata from 1971 to 1973. The most famous and striking photo of the essay, Tomoko Uemura in Her Bath, (1972) shows Ryoko Uemura, holding her severely deformed daughter, Tomoko, in a Japanese bath chamber. Tomoko was poisoned by methyl mercury while still in the womb. The photo was very widely published. It was posed by Smith with the cooperation of Ryoko and Tomoko in order to dramatically illustrate the consequences of the disease. It has subsequently been withdrawn from circulation at the request of Tomoko's family, and therefore does not appear in recent anthologies of Smith's works.[31] Smith and his wife were extremely dedicated to the cause of the victims of Minamata disease, closely documenting their struggle for recognition and right to compensation. Smith was himself attacked and seriously injured by Chisso employees in an incident in Goi, Ichihara city, near Tokyo on 7 January 1972, in an attempt to stop the photographer from further revealing the issue to the world.[32] The 54 year-old Smith survived the attack, but his sight in one eye deteriorated and his health never fully recovered before his death in 1978.

Nil Einne (talk) 23:23, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

Fired For Using Medium Format
Smith was not fired from Newsweek for refusing to use Medium Format. He was fired because he used Medium Format. Newsweek wanted him to use a 4X5 Large Format camera and he wanted to use a 2 1/4, which is considered Medium Format. He mentioned this in an interview with Paul Hill and Thomas Cooper in the book "Dialogue With Photography."

Deepcloud (talk) 01:59, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Severing ties with Life
"Smith severed his ties with Life over the way in which the magazine used his photographs of Albert Schweitzer" - this appears in the article, and several sources on the internet say the same thing, but no-one explains the nature of the dispute. I assume it was something to do with this essay here, but what went wrong? -Ashley Pomeroy (talk) 22:39, 11 September 2010 (UTC)


 * I've tried to clarify split with Life in text. Mick gold (talk) 11:33, 21 June 2018 (UTC)

Personal life and Margery (Lewis) Smith Comment
There is surprisingly nothing mentioned in the article about Smith's rather tumultuous personal life and several relationships. I came to the page looking for info on Margery (Lewis) Smith (who was not artist Margery Hoffman Smith b.1888 as some erroneously write), his longtime mistress/partner and mother of his son Kevin. I can find only scant info on her...can anyone point me to some helpful sources please? She contributed photographs for several major magazines.JamesMcArdle 04:32, 7 April 2016 (UTC) (Apologies...have added signature which failed to register in 2016) Jamesmcardle(talk) 10:46, 21 June 2018 (UTC)Margery Smit


 * An account of the relationship between W. Eugene Smith and Margery Lewis, who changed her name to Smith, can be found in the biography: Ben Maddow and Smith, W. Eugene. Let Truth be the Prejudice: W. Eugene Smith, His Life and Photographs. New York: Aperture, 1985. ISBN 0-89381-179-3. Illustrated biography. With an afterword by John G. Morris. Pages 43-51. Maddow wrote of Smith: "There were at least ten women of some importance in his emotional life: two were his wives, four were not; three were his daughters; one with him until he was 37 was his powerful mother." Mick gold (talk) 16:55, 21 June 2018 (UTC)


 * Thank you Mick gold, I was just surprised to find Margery (Lewis) Smith not mentioned here given what is in Let Truth be the Prejudice (in which his difficult, perhaps even bipolar? personality is evident). With recent excellent work on it by you and Lopifalko, this article is much improved, though still scant on Smith's personal life for such an important figure in documentary photography, and given its impact on his career...in that regard, do you think even a summary of what you quote from Maddow above should go in? Does his epic Pittsburgh essay deserve its own section?.Jamesmcardle(talk) 00:01, 22 June 2018 (UTC)
 * Thank you Jamesmcardle, I've added a lot to WES this week because I thought article was in poor shape, and thought he was an important photographer. Unfortunately I'm also busy with work. Why don't you add material about Smith's personal life and expand Pittsburgh material? You seem to have a copy of Let Truth be the Prejudice. Best, Mick gold (talk) 07:22, 22 June 2018 (UTC)
 * It's very good that you came and did what you did as the article was, as you say, in such poor shape for someone so noteworthy. -Lopifalko (talk) 08:56, 22 June 2018 (UTC)
 * I agree ...you've both done wonders...I'm busy for a few days but will return and add as you suggest Mick gold--Jamesmcardle(talk) 11:10, 22 June 2018 (UTC)

Neutrality of W Eugene Smith?
I've added material to this article and several cites, trying to improve it. I am puzzled by banner which reads "The neutrality of this article is disputed". The article can clearly be improved by adding more material and more cites but I can't see it is seriously flawed in its assessment of Smith. Clarification please. Mick gold (talk) 11:40, 21 June 2018 (UTC)
 * Good work. Good question. I will read it through (copyediting as I go if necessary) and get back to you. -Lopifalko (talk) 11:51, 21 June 2018 (UTC)
 * I have finished copyediting. Perhaps it was someone concerned by all the info on Minamata disease that applied the neutrality warning. I vote for removing the warning. Whilst we're here, I think the section on the Jazz Loft Project is overly detailed. Thanks again. -Lopifalko (talk) 12:33, 21 June 2018 (UTC)
 * I think the article needs more references to support its lofty claims. -Lopifalko (talk) 12:40, 21 June 2018 (UTC)
 * Thanks for removing neutrality warning and for copy editing. I shall continue to add material + cites to "support lofty claims". Mick gold (talk) 18:05, 21 June 2018 (UTC)

Wives, partners and children
Why is the information not complete? 65.48.79.151 (talk) 05:05, 12 July 2022 (UTC)