by Julia RabanSmith’s portrait of Duke Ellington at the Civic Auditorium (now called McCaw Hall) in 1949. ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF MOHAI/AL SMITH COLLECTION
When Al Smith was born in Seattle in 1914, black residents were less than 1 percent of the city's population. He was the first black student to attend O'Dea, the private Catholic boys' school on First Hill. He was the only black member of his Boy Scout troop.
Smith was given his first camera in 1926, but photography was never more than a
When Al Smith was born in Seattle in 1914, black residents were less than 1 percent of the city's population. He was the first black student to attend O'Dea, the private Catholic boys' school on First Hill. He was the only black member of his Boy Scout troop.
Smith was given his first camera in 1926, but photography was never more than a