Favorite Photograph
It is true that every day—for me—is family history day! Like the hot day in the summer of 2018 when we visited the Fort Worth, Texas Museum District with our younger grandson, Michael. As we parked in front of the parking garage, I looked up . . . and there was a cousin!
Staring at us from his larger-than-life size of four stories, Erwin Evans Smith's image appeared in mosaic on the east-facing parking garage, welcoming us to the center of Fort Worth’s cowboy culture where a collection of museums are within easy walking distance of one another.
Choosing a favorite photograph is akin to being asked to choose your favorite child. Can't be done! But currently this is my favorite ‘genealogical’ photograph as it captures the essence of the pursuit . . . connection. As then-seven year old Michael’s finger pointed across the expanse of the green grass and--further still--back six generations--to the mosaic image of the iconic chronicler of the “Vanishing West,“ he connected with Erwin Evans Smith, his cousin.
And his perplexed expression as he dutifully complied with my directions, “point to your cousin, Michael,” captures the tension of ‘pointing to the past,’ his wondering what it might possibly have to do with the present.
What an unexpected joy to have introduced Michael to a cousin that day whose work long ago captured my affection—well before I had any idea that he was ‘my’ Smith, although it will be some years before Michael understands the significance of Erwin’s contribution.
A gifted, sensitive artist, perhaps my creative kin will find resonance in the life work of Erwin Evans Smith.
You ask if you are related to Erwin? Erwin Evans Smith resides in my mother's paternal line, Smith.
One wonders when a dream is born. For Erwin the seed was planted in his childhood when family vacations to the western part of Texas and on to New Mexico stole his heart. Aging into manhood as Texas entered the urban era, he sought to capture the vanishing West. And capture it he did.
Haley in his 1952 book, Life on the Texas Range, reveals:
Much of Erwin's work is archived at the Amon Carter Museum of Western Art in Fort Worth, Texas (other is found in the Library of Congress) where it forms the bulk of teaching resources for cowboy culture and the West and includes a teaching guide.
My personal favorite of Erwin's work is this image of Erwin himself pondering the vanishing West . . . sharing the fascination of both the Palo Duro Canyon and Caprock Canyon with Erwin, where parts of my soul were left with every ride down those trails.
Might you have one that speaks to you?
This photograph unveils Erwin's skill with the photographic equipment of the time and manipulation of light, one that skilled photographers will appreciate.
Readers may access the Erwin E. Smith Collection at the Amon Carton Museum only if time has been set aside to peruse the collection of photographs. Content warning: You may lose yourself in it! From the collection site, we learn that . . .
Erwin was a man of grace, easily moving between the cultures of the art world and the range . . . and the developing film industry. Actor William S. Hart sought his advice in creating more authentic western characterizations in his silent film roles.7 Surely they became lifelong friends as both their legacies include meticulous detail and careful interpretation of the Western era. 8 And like Erwin Evans Smith, William S. Hart "imbued all of his characters with honor and integrity."9
Extending beyond the Western culture, Erwin's work included (to a much lesser extent) cowgirls, African-American cowboys, Native American wild west show performers, lacrosse players, tenant farmers and their families, and small town community events of Fannin County, Texas. 10 Indeed, Fannin County, Texas remained his home base throughout his life.
For those whose sensibilities include Texana photography and historical profiles that elicit an appreciative response from participants from across the globe, consider the on-line presence of Traces of Texas that includes almost 750,000 followers. A beautiful photograph of Erwin Evans Smith was posted 5 Jan 2020 by the site owner to which a lively response followed (in which I posted brief genealogical facts about the family cluster migration, and two cousins previously unknown to each other connected). Such history-based sites typically spawn genealogical tidbits that can grow one's body of research.
Those who continue to appreciate Erwin Evans Smith's body of work are far and wide, well beyond the state of Texas, and his influence continues long after pancreatic cancer ended his life in 1947. 11
A plethora of digital resources are available for those who would like to know more about Erwin’s work, a selection of which is included below in addition to those listed in Sources and Notes.
Leaving no descendants to kindle his memory, it is a privilege to restore Erwin Evans Smith to the family.
Staring at us from his larger-than-life size of four stories, Erwin Evans Smith's image appeared in mosaic on the east-facing parking garage, welcoming us to the center of Fort Worth’s cowboy culture where a collection of museums are within easy walking distance of one another.
Choosing a favorite photograph is akin to being asked to choose your favorite child. Can't be done! But currently this is my favorite ‘genealogical’ photograph as it captures the essence of the pursuit . . . connection. As then-seven year old Michael’s finger pointed across the expanse of the green grass and--further still--back six generations--to the mosaic image of the iconic chronicler of the “Vanishing West,“ he connected with Erwin Evans Smith, his cousin.
 |
| Private Collection of Beth Peel Leggieri, July 17 2018 Not for reproduction |
What an unexpected joy to have introduced Michael to a cousin that day whose work long ago captured my affection—well before I had any idea that he was ‘my’ Smith, although it will be some years before Michael understands the significance of Erwin’s contribution.
A gifted, sensitive artist, perhaps my creative kin will find resonance in the life work of Erwin Evans Smith.
You ask if you are related to Erwin? Erwin Evans Smith resides in my mother's paternal line, Smith.
Erwin’s grandfather, John E. Smith (1814-1851) and my second great-grandfather, William Parker Smith (1812-1893) were siblings born two years apart.
That my long-time favorite western photographer, Erwin Evans Smith, is my 2nd cousin, two generations removed (2C2R) is the reward for hunting Smiths for more than 25 years. Let me introduce you to him!
Erwin Evans Smith (1886-1947)
One wonders when a dream is born. For Erwin the seed was planted in his childhood when family vacations to the western part of Texas and on to New Mexico stole his heart. Aging into manhood as Texas entered the urban era, he sought to capture the vanishing West. And capture it he did.
 |
| Fannin County Museum, Bonham, Texas 1 |
Haley in his 1952 book, Life on the Texas Range, reveals:
Erwin E. Smith was the outstanding cowboy photographer of the West. At the beginning of the century in Texas he was doing on sensitized plates and film what Charles Russell was doing in paint for Montana . . .
His sense of telling and accurate detail, his unstaged but imaginative compositions, and his rugged insistence on honest action and incident, with his "colossal patience" over years of financially unremunerative work, were nothing short of the nature and the devotion of the real artist. 2
Much of Erwin's work is archived at the Amon Carter Museum of Western Art in Fort Worth, Texas (other is found in the Library of Congress) where it forms the bulk of teaching resources for cowboy culture and the West and includes a teaching guide.
 |
| Image from the Erwin E. Smith Collection, Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas 3 |
My personal favorite of Erwin's work is this image of Erwin himself pondering the vanishing West . . . sharing the fascination of both the Palo Duro Canyon and Caprock Canyon with Erwin, where parts of my soul were left with every ride down those trails.
 |
| Image from the Erwin E. Smith Collection, Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas 4 |
Might you have one that speaks to you?
This photograph unveils Erwin's skill with the photographic equipment of the time and manipulation of light, one that skilled photographers will appreciate.
 |
| Image from the Erwin E. Smith Collection, Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas 5 |
Readers may access the Erwin E. Smith Collection at the Amon Carton Museum only if time has been set aside to peruse the collection of photographs. Content warning: You may lose yourself in it! From the collection site, we learn that . . .
Smith initially intended to use his photographs as studies for sculptures and paintings, but in time he saw that the photographs were both historical documents and works of art in themselves. While photographing on the range, Smith always carried small notebooks for jotting down ideas for pictures and making rough sketches. He would convince cowhands to pose in "artistic" ways to create good compositions. After making his exposures, he often cropped the negatives to produce more pleasing compositions. He even experimented with sketching additional details onto some of the negatives and prints to improve the image. His understanding of composition, his artistic talent, and his willingness to experiment all coalesced to produce what one contemporary critic called "the finest pictures of range life ever taken."6
Extending beyond the Western culture, Erwin's work included (to a much lesser extent) cowgirls, African-American cowboys, Native American wild west show performers, lacrosse players, tenant farmers and their families, and small town community events of Fannin County, Texas. 10 Indeed, Fannin County, Texas remained his home base throughout his life.
For those whose sensibilities include Texana photography and historical profiles that elicit an appreciative response from participants from across the globe, consider the on-line presence of Traces of Texas that includes almost 750,000 followers. A beautiful photograph of Erwin Evans Smith was posted 5 Jan 2020 by the site owner to which a lively response followed (in which I posted brief genealogical facts about the family cluster migration, and two cousins previously unknown to each other connected). Such history-based sites typically spawn genealogical tidbits that can grow one's body of research.
Those who continue to appreciate Erwin Evans Smith's body of work are far and wide, well beyond the state of Texas, and his influence continues long after pancreatic cancer ended his life in 1947. 11
Leaving no descendants to kindle his memory, it is a privilege to restore Erwin Evans Smith to the family.
Happy Trails to you. For the family!
Beth Peel Leggieri, Heir Unapparent
Label: Roots with No Branches
Copyright © HeirUnapparent, 2020. All rights reserved.Beth Peel Leggieri, Heir Unapparent
Label: Roots with No Branches
Sources and Notes
- "Erwin Evans Smith," Fannin County Historical Commission, Fannin County, Texas, courtesy Malinda Allison. https://www.fannincountyhistory.org/erwin-smith.html : Accessed 13 Jan 2020.
- J. Evetts Haley, Life on the Texas Range (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1952), 7.
- "Biography of Erwin E. Smith." EES Collection, Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. http://smith.cartermuseum.org/about.php : Accessed 13 Jan 2020.
- "Erwin E. Smith and His Mount Overlooking the Country from a High Point on the JA Ranch, Texas, 1908." EES Collection, LC-559-182. Ranches, Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. http://smith.cartermuseum.org/collection.php?mcat=6 : Accessed 13 Jan 2020,
- "Cowpunchers sitting around the campfire after the day's work is done. J.A. Ranch, Texas, 1908." EES Collection, LC-LS-238. Ranches, Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. http://smith.cartermuseum.org/collection.php?mcat=6 : Accessed 13 Jan 2020.
- Handbook of Texas Online, Eldon S. Branda, "SMITH, ERWIN EVANS." http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fsm11 : Accessed January 12, 2020.
- "Art Background and Methods." EES Collection, Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. http://smith.cartermuseum.org/background.php : Accessed 13 Jan 2020.
- William S. Hart left his home and the bulk of his estate--Native American artifacts, movie paraphernalia, and Western art--to the County of Los Angeles, California where the Natural Museum of Los Angeles County is responsible for the historical interpretation. These materials form a major resource for understanding the American West as it was perceived in the early part of the 20th century. "William S. Hart," SCV Historical Society. https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/ap1411.htm : Accessed 13 Jan 2020.
- Susan King, "Classic Hollywood: Western film pioneers have silent-era roots," Los Angeles Times, 25 Jul 2011. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-jul-25-la-et-classic-hollywood-20110725-story.html : Accessed 13 Jan 2020.
- Kathy Weiser, "Erwin E. Smith, Cowboy Photographer," Legends of America. https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-erwinsmith/ : Accessed 13 Jan 2020.
- Ancestry.com, Texas, Death Certificates, 1903-1982 ("Erwin Evans Smith," Birth: August 22, 1886, Honey Grove, Fannin, Texas. Death: September 4, 1947, Bonham, Fannin, Texas. Contributory causes of death: Grade IV Carcinoma of Pancreas and Generalized Metastases.) Accessed 13 Jan 2020, Texas Department of State Health Services; Austin Texas.
Further Reading
- "A Guide to the Erwin Evans Smith Photographs," Briscoe Center for American History. https://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/taro/utcah/01622/cah-01622.html : Accessed 13 Jan 2020,
- Tom Augherton, "Erwin Evans Smith," True West Magazine, May, 2015. https://truewestmagazine.com/erwin-e-smith/ : Accessed 13 Jan 2020.
- "Smith, Erwin E, photographer." Photographs of cowboy life in Texas and Arizona / Erwin E. Smith, Bonham, Texas. Southwestern States, None. c1908-c1910. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2004667149/ : Accessed 13 Jan 2020.
Revised March 27, 2026.
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