Harry Everett Smith (May 29, 1923 – November 27, 1991) was an important figure in the Beat Generation scene in New York City. The beat generation was a group of authors whose literature exploded and influences American culture in the post World War 2 era. He was also an artist and experimental film-maker who is known for his extravagant abstract animations. He would paint by hand directly on the celluloid film.
Harry was a bohemian, mystic and a self-taught student of anthropology, throughout his life he was a collector, in addition to vinyl records he collected string figures,
paper airplanes,
Seminole textiles,
and Ukrainian Easter eggs.
- http://www.newyorker.com/project/portfolio/the-paper-airplane-collector – Article about his paper airplane collection.