Known for Photography | Died 7 March 1917 | |
Full Name Thomas William Smillie Born April 15, 1843 ( 1843-04-15 ) | ||
Thomas William Smillie (April 15, 1843 – March 7, 1917) was a Scottish-American photographer and archivist. He served as the first official photographer of the Smithsonian Institution, as well as the first "honorary curator" of the Smithsonian's photography collection.
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Early life
Smillie was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, but moved to the United States with his family at age five. He eventually attended Georgetown University as a student in medicine and chemistry.
Career
Smillie was named the official photographer for the Smithsonian in 1871. Additionally, upon the creation of the Section of Photography at the Smithsonian in 1896, Smillie was named "honorary curator"; he would hold both positions until his death in 1917.
One of Smillie's interests was in preserving the history of photography. His initial purchases for the Section of Photography included a camera and equipment owned by Samuel Morse. In 1913, Smillie curated the Smithsonian's first-ever photography exhibition.
Smillie photographed the Solar eclipse of May 28, 1900.