The images, taken in 1983, are on view at Salford Lads Club, outside which the group posed for sleeve art on their album The Queen Is Dead.
Fanzine editor Colin Howe decided to loan his negatives to the club for an exhibition and a fund-raising booklet.
He had discovered the pictures in his garage and mentioned them in passing while on a tour of the club.
Mr Howe had written to the band's record label Rough Trade requesting an interview for his fanzine, The Portable Chatshow.
He met and photographed the band when they played Liverpool Polytechnic on 22 October - their first appearance in the city on what was only their second tour.
Leslie Holmes, project manager at Salford Lads Club said: "He offered them to us and we are delighted to put these rare photographs on show."
"One of our first visitors today was Joyce Guillarduccci who is a visitor from Sao Paolo," he added.
The club is one of most popular music landmarks with tourists in the UK owing to its association with the seminal Manchester group.
The exhibition is running for two successive Saturdays at the club ending on 5 December.
Forgotten photographs of The Smiths have gone on display at the scene of the band's most famous photo shoot.