A postal carrier during the week, Al Smith (1916-2008) spent weekends taking pictures for his photography business "On The Spot." His photographs tell the stories of the everyday people who shaped the dynamic character of Seattle, offering rare views into the city’s Black community, the Central Area neighborhood, and the local jazz scene.

Here, Smith photographs Lester Catlett and an unidentified woman sitting together on stairs at a party. Al Smith and Lester Catlett had been crewmates on an American Mail Line steamship, where they worked as stewards.

Caption information source: Taylor, Quintard (1994). "The Forging of a Black Community." University of Washington Press, photo caption.