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A Social Circle was an exhibition mounted for the 2025 Austin Studio Tour. It showcased the work of former resident L.K. Smoot from 1900-1910 giving a peek into his daily life and adventures.
About the Exhibit
This exhibition features a selection of photographs taken by Lawrence (LK) Smoot (1878–1968), a young Austinite with a curious eye and a knack for adventure. These large prints were digitally produced from a handful of 5x7-inch glass negatives discovered both at Flower Hill, the Smoot family home, and from the Smoot family collection gifted to the Briscoe Center for American History. They represent just a glimpse of Lawrence’s creative output.
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Through these images, we see what it was like to be young in Austin around 1900, joyful, social, and curious. More than a century later, their energy feels familiar. The clothes have changed, but the spirit is the same: daily life with your circle of friends.
Meet the Artists
LAWRENCE KELLEY SMOOT (1875-1968)
Lawrence Kelley Smoot (L.K.) was born in Bowling Green, and grew up in Austin, Texas, at Flower Hill. was inventive from a young age, exploring woodworking, photography, and electricity. After graduating from the University of Texas Law School, he served over sixty-six years with the Texas Supreme Court, known for his meticulous care of the Court Library and legal scholarship. L.K. dedicated to family and community, designing structures, raising poultry, and enjoying the outdoors. He married Julia Emma Williams in 1918 and together they raised their daughter, Jane, leaving behind a legacy of service and craftsmanship.
BRET BROOKSHIRE
Curator
Austin based photographer and teacher Bret Brookshire has a deep interest in our sense of place. He is curious about the aspects of ourselves that connect us to what we do and where we live. Rooted in Texas since the 1830s, his family history is intimately connected to Central and South Texas.​
A happily married husband and the father of two children in their twenties, Bret has enjoyed many years as a stay at home parent, photographer and teacher…keeping house and connecting with the Austin community.
Primarily a theatre and documentary photographer, he is currently working on projects utilizing 19th century photographic techniques to investigate his visual and emotional connection to nature. The opportunity to explore both local history and the photographic legacy of the Smoot family fits right into Bret’s world.​
As a full-time photography professor at Austin Community College, Bret often teaches a History of Photography class…giving him a unique opportunity to combine his interest in place and photography with a chance to bring local history into the classroom.
Acknowledgements & Dedication
This exhibition is made possible through the vision, artistry, and collaboration of many.
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We'd like to thank Jonathan Hargraves for his beautiful prints made in collaboration with the ACCMe internship program at the Department of Photography + Visual Media, Austin Community College, Highland Campus. Additional thanks to Casey Maddeaux, and Sean Perry of ACC for their essential support of the project. We invite visitors to follow ACC and join the conversation on Instagram: @photo.visualmedia
Prints courtesy of Smoot and Graham families papers, The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin and the Flower Hill Center. Their preservation of these historical materials allows us to engage with the past in meaningful and tangible ways.
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The Flower Hill Center wishes to acknowledge and thank Bret Brookshire for his unwavering dedication and curiosity about the Center and the Smoot family. Thanks to the invaluable support of our staff and board, Mary E. Walker and Kelly Doggett, NGP, Austin Studio Tours, and the Austin History Center. Each has contributed their time, expertise, and passion to ensure the success of this exhibition and the ongoing preservation of Flower Hill.
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Above all, this exhibition is dedicated to Jane Smoot, whose lifelong devotion to her family’s stories, the home and grounds of Flower Hill, and her dreams for this place continue to inspire. Her work preserving, documenting, and imagining the future of Flower Hill is the foundation upon which this exhibition stands. Through her vision, the past speaks to us with clarity and warmth, inviting us to look, to reflect, and to imagine what is possible when history is cherished and shared.
