The Bobby Smith Photography Collection includes a rare set of images taken by the late Bobby Smith. The first female “messenger boy,” and co-founder of the Metropolitan Community Church in Tampa, Bobby Smith’s personal and professional photographs include both portraits and “everyday” shots of the LGBTQ+ community.

The collection consists of nearly 450 photographs documenting Tampa’s Gay and Lesbian communities from the 1950s to the 1970s. Images of popular hang-outs, such as Jack’s Place, Knotty Pine, Jimmie White's Tavern and the Brass Rail, are included. A small sample of the collection has been digitized and are available online.