London by Gaslight, circa 1896

Paul Martin's London night scenes - that might remind us of Whistler's Nocturnes - started to appear in the pages of photographic journals in 1896. The feature 'London by gaslight', published in Amateur Photographer that year, introduced a new opportunity in photography made possible by the recent introduction of fast dry-plate negatives: the creative interpretation of low-light street scenes.

Martin's eye saw the potential of creating an evocative image that exploited the subtleties of diffused gaslight and of soft reflections on wet surfaces. His work had an immediate impact, not least on Alfred Stieglitz, who graciously acknowledged his debt to the British pioneer.