The Archive of Smith, Berwick: From Photo-News Service to Photo Centre
When David Smith began his photo news agency in Berwick in 1951, demand for his work came thick and fast at a local and national level. An experienced journalist with a keen eye for a story, he captured a wide range of subjects, from a visiting celebrity to a runaway circus elephant, not to mention a host of wedding and portrait commissions. As the business expanded, Smith opened the Photo Centre on Bridge Street and was joined by his son Ian and a team of staff photographers. On Ian Smith’s retirement in 2012, the company archive represented a remarkable record of the town and its people and was acquired by the Berwick Record Office.
Drawing on this unique collection The Archive of Smith, Berwick tells the story of this family run press agency and photo studio, and place it in the context of broader developments in photography.
The Archive of Smith, Berwick has been co-commissoned by Berwick Visual Arts and Berwick Record Office and curated by Cameron Robertson with Kate Best.
The exhibition has been kindly supported by Allan Brothers, Berwick Preservation Trust, Freemen of Berwick, Friends of Berwick & District Museum and Archives, Greaves, West & Ayre and the University of Cumbria.