Country Doctor

Country Doctor

The eye of 

his camera in 

 timeless juxtapose  

finds the meaning

of the life 

we live..

two children

emerging from a

dark forest place

find a lighted

garden of discovery..

A country doctor

braces from wind

rendering service to

 those caught in

that same forest..

his wish to

rescue childhood

which now weighs

distant and dim...

For his groundbreaking 1948 LIFE magazine photo essay, “Country Doctor” photographer W. Eugene Smith spent 23 days in Kremmling, Colorado, chronicling the day-to-day challenges faced by an indefatigable general practitioner named Dr. Ernest Ceriani.

“Country Doctor” was an instant classic when first published, establishing Smith as a master of the uniquely commanding young art form of the photo essay, and solidifying his stature as one of the most passionate and influential photojournalists of the 20th century.