Obituary of Bradford J. Smith

SCHENECTADY ~ Bradford J. Smith, 91, died on June 16, 2016, surrounded by his family. Born in Galway and raised in Ballston Spa, he was the son of the late Platt Smith and Mabel (Dunlop) Smith. Mr. Smith was a vibrant, charismatic and fascinating personality. He was an ambitious artist and entrepreneur, always lending a helping hand to friends and family. He was a dedicated member of the Christian Science Church on Union Street in Schenectady, NY. Mr. Smith was much loved and will be forever missed. From an early age photography was Mr. Smith’s passion and after graduating from Ballston Spa High School he attended the School of Modern Photography in Brooklyn, NY where he received his BA in graphics arts. He also attended the Fashion Institute of Technology associated with Pratt Institute and NYU. During WWII he made films for the US Army Signal Corps and went on to work as a film editor for Walter Cronkite at CBS Broadcasting. He also worked as a photographer for The New York Herald Tribune, several advertising agencies, and Harper’s Bazaar. He later opened his own photography studio in Manhattan where he served clients such as Cosmopolitan, Mademoiselle and Women’s Wear Daily. In the 1960’s after a year of traveling the USA in a hitched trailer, Mr. Smith, returned to his roots in Ballston Spa, NY and bought “The Brookside”, a 52 room hotel built by Stephen Douglas in 1772. At "The Brookside" in addition to creating apartments, he established his second professional photo studio. He eventually donated “The Brookside” to the Saratoga County Historical Society then worked as a contract industrial photographer for GE in Schenectady for 22 years. Additionally, Mr. Smith assisted his brother, Donald Smith, at White Studio, the Gustave Lorey Studio and Image Creators. With a strong entrepreneur spirit, Mr. Smith continued to own several businesses including Digimatrix, DataFlow, and National Direct. When he retired in the 1990’s, he traveled the country, photographing the Adirondacks, national parks, lighthouses and landscapes. Prior to his death, he owned the Bradford Gallery (www.bradfordgallery.com) and became a strong member of the regional artist community. His published books include The Nude and Modern Dance, Man, From NY to Florida, Life in Sacandaga Park 1880 to 1935. His work has appeared in Cosmopolitan, Red Book, Harper’s Bazaar, Better Homes and Gardens, Black & White magazines and The New York Times and The Schenectady Gazette newspapers. He has lectured at The School of Modern Photography, NYC; The Schenectady Photographic Society, NY; and Sacandaga Arts Network, NY. Survivors include brother Donald Smith of Albany, NY; son John Reeves, Jr. aka BJ Smith (Lynn) of Stillwater, Oklahoma; daughter Barbara Rouse (Barry) of Schenectady, NY; daughter Brenda Dentinger (Matthew) of Santa Barbara California; and ex-wife, Dorothy Smith of Scotia, NY. He is also survived by 13 grandchildren, several great-grandchildren and many admiring nieces and nephews. The family would like to thank The Eddy Group Senior Care (PACE) program and people for their amazing care and kindness given to Mr. Smith during the last three years of his life. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 25, 2016 at 10:00am, at the Christian Science Church, 1215 Union Street, Schenectady, NY; followed by interment in Ashley Cemetery, 5325 Bliss Road, Galway, NY. In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution to the Christian Science Church, 1215 Union Street, Schenectady, NY, 12308.