SMITH, HARRY

SMITH, HARRY (29 May 1923–11 November 1991; b. H. Everett S.). A minor independent filmmaker, sometime street person, friend-of- Allen-Ginsberg and Downtown New York personality, Harry Smith 's most lasting creation was the Anthology of American Folk Music, a six-LP set, first issued in 1952. When the major record labels were busily throwing away thousands of old 78s, Smith—and a few others— were happily buying up the discarded discs, creating personal archives of previously ignored musical…