Chester E. Smolski photographic slides and publications (MSS.41)

This collection comprises over 10,000 slides and 370 editorial columns published in several Rhode Island newspapers, including the Providence Journal and Providence Business News. Materials document the studies and travels of Professor Chester Smolski, who was a Professor of Geography and Director of the Urban Studies Program at Rhode Island College. This collection spans multiple decades, from the 1950s through the 2000s.

Throughout his career, Professor Smolski travelled the world in the course of his research. Although his primary focus was always Rhode Island and especially the city of Providence, his opinions and research were informed by his travels to different cities and countries. This collection documents the places he travelled and lived in photographs and newspaper columns that reflect his interest in urban studies, city planning, and geography.

Significant topics represented in this collection include urban development and suburban sprawl; retail developments, particularly shopping malls; "new towns" formed post World War II, particularly in England and Europe; the impact of urban development on populations and the environment; the revitalization of downtown Providence and the construction of new highways and the train station. Hundreds of slides consist of aerials of Rhode Island, New York City, and the surrounding areas. Subjects of Smolski’s newspaper columns include population growth and decline, jobs, demographics, geography in schools, suburban and city living, and highway construction.

Smolski’s slides and editorials reflect the international nature of his research and his commitment to using that work to inform public discussion on Rhode Island's place in history and the world. Although the subjects and locations represented in the collection are global in scope, the bulk of the collection focuses on Rhode Island, particularly its industry, agriculture, nature, construction, suburban sprawl, and the revitalization of downtown Providence. It also includes many charts and graphs that Smolski used alongside his slides when lecturing about new towns and the benefits of garden cities.