Smith , Bob (Robert M. Smith ) (December 20, 1926-August 1, 2006)
Dates
- Existence: December 20, 1926 - August 1, 2006
Biography
Bob Smith was a white fashion model, working primarily in New York and Paris from the 1950s-1970s. He was born December 20, 1926 in Dallas, Texas, later moving to Little Rock, Arkansas shortly after his mother’s death. Smith attended college at Southern Methodist University (SMU) before being drafted to the Army and serving for two years at the end of World War II. In 1948 Smith moved to New York City to work for Vogue Patterns as a fashion illustrator.
In 1955 he moved to Paris, France and began his career as a fashion model. Smith enjoyed success as a model, working with notable photographers such as Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, and Jerry Schatzberg among others. He returned to the United States in 1975 to care for his two aging aunts. Following their passings in 1985 he relocated to Kansas City, Missouri, where he became a local figure at the Tivoli Video and Tivoli Theater, notorious for his quick wit and temperament. Smith passed away on August 1, 2006 from colon cancer.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Bob Smith Collection (GLAMA)
The Bob Smith Collection was donated to the Gay and Lesbian Archives of Mid-America (GLAMA) in December 2019 by Jerry Harrington, Smith’s friend. It contains personal documents and correspondence, with the bulk of the collection comprised of newspaper and magazine clippings. The collection also contains over 600 photographs from across Smith’s career as a model, encompassing the 1940s-1980s.
