Seattle photographer Al Smith began taking photographs as a hobby as a teenager and continued documenting his experiences, both abroad and at home, throughout his life. Best known for his photos of Seattle's Jackson Street area jazz clubs and musicians, Smith also photographed family, friends, and local people in their everyday lives.

After World War II, Al Smith was invited to join the Kohga Photographic Society. Camera clubs like the Kohga brought together amateur and professional photographers. Members shared techniques and critiques while competing against other clubs. Al was the only non–Japanese American member of the Kohga club. When the club traveled to small towns throughout the state in the years after the Japanese incarceration during WWII, Al often went ahead to ensure his friends felt welcome.

This photo shows the Kohga club at one of their meeting spots, the Maneki Cafe on Sixth Avenue South in Seattle. Al (front left) and another member are holding trophies, probably received at a competition.