Ian Smith

Ian Smith (c.1921—c.1987) was a Scottish photographer who was on the staff of LIFE magazine in 1944.

Early life and education Ian Smith was born in Edinburgh of Scottish parents and received a box Brownie camera when he was eight. A teacher of English, French and history,

Photographer of politicians Smith photographed mainly in the UK for LIFE magazine as a member of the magazine's London office from September 1944, and was listed as a staff photographer during 1946. He contributed to a 25 Jun 1945 article in Life on the British Election of that year and many of his subjects were Labour and Conservative politicians including British statesman Harold Macmillan, Minister for Education Ellen Wilkinson, Herbert Morrison, Barbara Ayrton-Gould, and British Chancellor of the Exchequer Hugh Dalton. He photographed Brighton Vigilantes leader Harry Cowley speaking at a rally in Hyde Park to protest the housing problem and produced an extensive series following firebrand politician and Labour party leader Aneurin Bevan whom he also photographed when Bevan was an editor of Tribune newspaper (1941–45); and of the newly ordained Archbishop of Canterbury.

Recognition His 1945 picture for a story Evacuees return to London was included in the 1955 Museum of Modern Art show The Family of Man curated by Edward Steichen that toured the world and was seen by 9 million visitors; a tiny girl, barely more than a toddler, accompanied by a woman whose legs are the only sign of her presence in the picture, peers through a sturdy farm gate to bid farewell to a steer in the foreground.

Personal life There is scant information about Smith's personal life or on his early or late career, though at Getty Images photo agency there is a June 1945 portrait of him by Bob Landry showing him aged about twenty-four and holding his Rolleiflex .