M & M Smith: For Posterity's Sake

Morgan and Marvin Smith, twin brothers, and prolific African American artists, boldly moved from Kentucky to New York in 1933 to pursue artistic careers. By 1937 they had opened a photo studio next door to Harlem's renowned Apollo Theatre. Thus began 50-year-long careers as still and motion picture photographers, painters, and sound recordists. The Smiths captured events large and small within Harlem: street corner preachers, political rallies, Easter parades, and the thriving theatre and club scene. The Smiths also contributed their work to numerous community issues such as the "Don't Buy Where you Can't Work" campaign and the Anti-Lynching Bill. They also eloquently photographed the great Joe Louis, world heavyweight champion and African American symbol of hope, and gave many women of color, aspiring to be models and actresses, their first professional opportunities on film. This story is richly visualized through the Smiths' own photos, films, paintings, and journals, and is poignantly told by Morgan and Marvin Smith, friends such as Eartha Kitt, and other photographic subjects. M & M Smith: For Posterity's Sake is a presentation of the Independent Television Service (ITVS). Narrated by Ruby Dee.