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Walter Washington Smith
From the estate of Nedra Bigosa,
Smith's sister.
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The following text was taken from a hand written letter. This information about Walter W. Smith's life has been given by his sister Mrs. Nedra Smith Bigosa. Walter W. Smith was born Aug. 26, 1887 in Clearfield, PA. Son of Lilly M. and Wm. L. Smith. |
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Letter continues . . . As a child the family moved to Greencastle, PA the home of his father and grandfather. He attended elementary school in Greencastle. The family then moved to Pittsburgh during the "Boom Time". He attended elementary school there and then went to Carnegie Tech to study art. After his father's death, his mother moved back to Greencastle. Walter assisted her in raising two of her 14 children. |
He opened a studio on West Baltimore St. in the Stover Building .
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In the summer he went to Wildwood, NJ and opened a shop on the boardwalk. He hand painted scarfs, ties, hankerchiefs & leather covers.
He returned to Greencastle again to assist his mother. After a while, he came back to Philadelphia. In 1929 he worked at the Standard Theatre making & painting scenery & posters.
In 1913 he married Victoria Baptiste. For several years he owned & operated a sign shop at 1800 Ludboro (?) St., center city making signs, posters and pictures.
His last work was at Food Fair, a local chain food store corporation. He supervised the display sign shop. After several years work there, he passed away July 30, 1950. . . . . end of letter
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A postcard designed and published by Dated 1909 |
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"Snowing" "It took 7 years to complete." In explaining why, Mr. Smith stated: "There are more than one hundred different kinds of snow storms, and having begun with a certain type it was necessary to wait each winter for a similar storm. Two winters we had no snow of that kind. But on April 7, 1928, in Greencastle, PA., the locale of the painting, it began to snow-----a small blizzard ----and I finished it that day." Out of several hundred pictures submitted by many famous artists, "Snowing" was selected as one of the best one hundred to be sent on a travel exhibition It was highly acclaimed at the Eleventh Exhibition of Contemporary American Oil Paintings at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington and the St. Louis, MO. Art Gallery. It has also hung in the Neuman galleries. One critic stated: "It is the first time I have seen anything quite like this, where one can feel the actual snow storm." |
Another critic's report:
"Walter W Smith, Jr., has sent two of his works to the Exposition of Independent Artists of New York, entitled) "Love's Walk" and "Creek Bridge"; these two canvasses posses remarkable and indeed unique qualities; their construction is solid, their design vigorous; beautifully harmonized coloring, delightful proportion, a fine exception of light and atmosphere distinguish them; the workmanship is excellent and entirely original. These are pictures-of excellent conception, of execution at the same time delicate and robust, and pictures which betray a noble artistic fervor.
It is of especial interest to note that one of these pictures, "The Creek Bridge is a painting of the stone bridge over the Conococheague Creek one mile west of town along the Mercersburg state road. Smith has painted a large number of pictures of local scenes which will be exhibited if arrangements can be satisfactorily made, for the benefit of the townspeople and visitors during ' Old Home Week".
"Creek Bridge"
The following painting is printed in a 1923 French magazine
REVUE VRAI ET DU BEAU
It includes an article on W. W. Smith.
Various letters of invitations, artwork acceptance, mailing instructions, etc.
