Smith was a constant presence at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, documenting the event from its inception in 1970 at Congo Square and continuing in the decades following the festival’s move to the Fair Grounds in 1972. As the crowds grew and the schedules lengthened, Smith was there to capture it all. When he retired in 2004, an exhibition at the Fair Grounds grandstand honored his role as the “keeper of the Jazz Fest family album,” as described by the Times-PicayuneOpens in new tab.  

Smith also trained his lens on Black parading and vernacular traditions, including jazz funerals, social and pleasure club parades (also known as second lines), and Mardi Gras Indians. He paid special attention to New Orleans’s Spiritualist churches, characterized by charismatic worship practices often led by women. These subjects formed the basis of HNOC’s 2009 publication, In the Spirit: The Photography of Michael P. Smith from the Historic New Orleans Collection.

Smith’s appreciation for regional music and culture extended beyond photography: He was one of the “Fabulous Fo’teen,” a group of music lovers who cofounded Tipitina’s in 1977 to provide a dedicated performance space for New Orleans artists who had been overlooked by the city’s main venues, such as Professor Longhair and James Booker. 

In 2007, HNOC acquired Smith’s extensive archive, comprising film, prints, slides, and even audio recordings. Through his photographs, we are able to trace the evolution of Jazz Fest from its humble beginnings to a highly produced event attended by half a million visitors every year. Smith’s images of the music festival, like all of his work, highlight the photographer’s deep commitment to preserving and showcasing the musical and cultural traditions of his New Orleans community.