Return Journey - ACE112.6

Public house. Photographs of customers; Smith talks about getting to know the groups of people he photographed rather than just "snatching pictures". Eddie (1976). Commentary notes that Smith’s work led to him being named Young Photographer of the Year by the Royal Photographic Society. The photographs being hung in exhibition. Smith’s VO says that, he had his doubts about the practice of photography and, despite his success, there subsequently seemed to be little context for these photographs. Sussex University, where Smith became Artist in Residence and was introduced to the Mass-Observation collection. The MO archive. Smith looking at negatives; his VO talks about mounting an exhibition of photographs, which turned out to be those taken by Humphrey Spender. Boys’ Brigade. Visitors to the exhibition; commentary points out that the images now represented places and events long vanished, and says that critics began to re-evaluate the work and assess it in terms of its market value. Spender says a would-be purchaser was more interested in the photographs as vintage prints than in getting best quality reproductions. Smith talks about the importance to him of the success of the exhibition. In Newcastle. Commentary says that Smith stopped working as a photographer and became more interested in "reclaiming images which had been lost, discarded or neglected" and began researching and organising exhibitions at the Side Gallery. Exhibition. Smith talking VO about his new role, of organising exhibitions about Tyneside communities, and building up an archive of photographs for exhibition and publication. Smith showing books to visitors.