Painter, printmaker, author, photographer and architect born in Islington, London. London After leaving school he studied at the Northern Polytechnic, transferring to the architectural school at the age of sixteen from where he won a scholarship to the Architectural Association, but did not complete the course after which he worked as a draughtsman for several years. In 1935 he became a freelance photographer concentrating his efforts on the mining community of Ashington in Northumberland, the docks of Newcastle, and circuses and fairgrounds around London. Smith was also a prolific artist producing many watercolours and oil paintings, drawings, linocuts and woodcuts throughout his life, and in later years at Saffron Walden, he drew up architectural plans for local properties but it is for his photograph books he is best remembered.
Although he left a larger body of work than most dedicated artists who live to old age, Edwin's paintings and drawings were virtually unknown until they appeared in exhibitions held after his death at the Minories Colchester, Cambridge and King's Lynn. He was married to the painter Olive Cook and he was also an elected member of the RIBA. The Fry Gallery, Saffron Walden held a joint retrospective exhibition with Smith’s wife Olive Cook in 2003