A R T I S T
F E A T U R E
N E W
O R L E A N S ,
L A
bead work. Know the culture, know the
through. But when Mike Smith went Uptown,
sheets of his stuff and working with the
history, know why the blacks ran away and
he was protected, and a lot of people knew
images, that Mike didn’t just take pictures,
how the Native Americans helped them.” He
what he was about.”
he received pictures. He just went out there
also urged Bannock to become registered
David Richmond first knew Michael Smith
and wrestled away until some spiritual force
as a “master craftsman in black Mardi Gras
in 1969, when he took Smith’s place as an
said ‘You’re gonna receive this one.’”
Indian bead work” with Louisiana Folk-life.
assistant to local Black Star syndicate pho-
The Louisiana State Museum raised the
“One of the people that made me a Big
tographer Matt Heron. He ran into him peri-
bar for recognition of Smith’s work last year
Chief was Mike Smith,” says Bannock. “When
odically in the mid-70s, although they were
when it purchased 75 archival-quality prints
I first became a Chief, I was going through a
never close friends.
for its collection. “These pictures are going
problem, and I was talking to Mike about it.
“I had a little gallery in New Orleans in
to be the museum’s basis of the represen-
And he said, ‘When you become a Chief, you
the 70s and that was the first real gallery
tation of African-American culture in New
become the center of attention. People say
showing of Mike’s work—the Spirit World
Orleans,” says Richmond. Rosenheim says Smith’s entire collection—
“His best pictures— they're alive they come out and knock you out”
photography, recordings, notes—should find a permanent and appropriate home in New Orleans, perhaps the New Orleans Museum of Art or the Louisiana State Museum. “It should be there, in the city that created him and in the city that created the music and culture. I would urge any one of the museum
things about you—negative things. That’s
stuff. But Mike didn’t hang out with that gal-
directors in the city to preserve this archive
all part of being a Chief.’ And the first thing
lery group. He never spent any time being a
in all its complexity and richness.”
he said was, ‘Buy your own equipment.’
dilettante photographer. He was hanging
The archiving of Smith’s work “is an
Everything I needed to make a suit, Mike
out with people closer to the culture—Jerry
ongoing process,” says Bob Compton. “The
said that’s what I need. When you got your
Brock, Jason Berry, Jeff Hannusch.
phrase ‘treasure trove’ does not do it jus-
own, nobody can come at you.
“I really lost track of Mike for about 15
tice. There must be 100,000 images in that
“Mike isn’t a 9-to-5 friend. He’s a 24-hour
years,” Richmond continues. “Two years ago
Race Street building. It physically fills up five great big rooms in an old hotel-size
friend,” Bannock continues. “Whenever you
I started this exhibit space and went over
called him, he was there. There’s a lot of
to Mike’s place and said this can’t happen.
house.” Meanwhile, Smith races against
people that’s on the street today because
There was nobody to really champion his
time to finish In the Spirit, which his
of Mike. Carpenters, contractors, when
work, and he certainly wasn’t going to do
daughter, Leslie, describes as “an explo-
things were slow, Mike would help them
it anymore.”
ration of freedom rituals in New Orleans,”
get jobs. He wasn’t just a little white boy
Richmond selected about 30 images for
from jazz funerals to the underground
who came along and took all the pictures
an exhibit. “I started printing them bigger,
gay Mardi Gras.
and made all the money. … When the testi-
and cleaner. And I just realized that I’d fallen
“He’s driven. He’s afraid of not remem-
mony is given, they can say Mike gave back—
in love with the images. His best pictures—
bering, so he writes and doesn’t sleep, but
he didn’t take away.”
they’re alive, they’re not two-dimensional.
he’s got so much writing to do, and it’s a
Becoming a part of the culture he was
You don’t look at the pictures—they come
vicious cycle.”
documenting had its down sides, too, says
out and knock you out, especially when
Bannock hopes the recognition that’s
Bannock. “Mike and Jules Kahn were taking
you’re giving birth to something like that
due Smith happens soon.
pictures of second lines when it wasn’t pop-
in the darkroom.”
“There’s an old saying in the black
ular. Mike Smith was run out of places, Mike
And, Richmond observes, “I’ve come
church,” he muses. “Give me my flowers
Smith was harassed, the same thing we went
to the conclusion, in looking at the proof
while I’m alive.”
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