Photographs by Paul Martin

A photograph of a food stall at a fairground, taken by Paul Martin, c. 1898.

This is one of a series of photographs taken by Martin at a fair in a public park, probably in London. Paul Martin disguised his camera within a leather case, going unnoticed as he took candid photographs of everyday life.

A photograph of a Hansom cab in a London street, taken by Paul Martin, c. 1900.

The horse drinks from a trough placed by the roadside by the Metropolitan drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association, an association set up to provide clean drinking water for people, and later, animals in London. Paul Martin disguised his camera within a leather case, going unnoticed as he took candid photographs of everyday life.

A photograph of a London street scene, taken by Paul Martin, c. 1900.

The photograph shows three people resting on a bench as a horse-drawn coal wagon marked 'A. Allen… Coal Merchants, 125 Lillie Road Fulham' passes by. Paul Martin disguised his camera within a leather case, going unnoticed as he took candid photographs of everyday life.

A photograph of two men repairing a road, taken by Paul Martin, c. 1890.

The men are re-laying a road surface in Ludgate Circus, London, one stands on a tar boiler. Paul Martin disguised his camera within a leather case, going unnoticed as he took candid photographs of everyday life.

A photograph of men at a drinks stall, taken by Paul Martin, c. 1898.

The photograph shows a man taking a drink from the fairground stall, as another stands on a crate looking after the stall. On the left a sign for oysters reads 'A'int they grand?'

At the time, oysters were a popular cheap snack. This is one of a series of photographs taken by Martin at a fair in a public park, probably in London. Paul Martin disguised his camera within a leather case, going unnoticed as he took candid photographs of everyday life.

A photograph of a gang of men repairing a road, taken by Paul Martin, c. 1905.

The photograph shows the men unloading stone from a wagon in Ludgate Circus, London. Paul Martin disguised his camera within a leather case, going unnoticed as he took candid photographs of everyday life.

A photograph taken at a fairground, taken by Paul Martin, c. 1898.

Children, one in a sailor suit, line up to watch a woman throwing a ball in a fairground game. If she wins, she could take one of the toys or ornaments scattered on the ground as a prize. Paul Martin disguised his camera within a leather case, going unnoticed as he took candid photographs of everyday life.

A photograph of a ginger beer fountain at a fairground, taken by Paul Martin, c. 1898.

The photograph shows a man demonstrating a ginger beer dispenser. A sign in the background reads 'R. Whites Ginger beer'. Paul Martin disguised his camera within a leather case, going unnoticed as he took candid photographs of everyday life.

A photograph of a woman with a young girl and a child in a pushchair, taken by Paul Martin, c. 1900.

The photograph shows an elegantly dressed woman holding a pushchair in front of a lake. A boy stands next to the group, wearing a bowler hat and holding a cane. Paul Martin disguised his camera within a leather case, going unnoticed as he took candid photographs of everyday life.

A photograph of Piccadilly Circus in London, taken by Paul Martin, c. 1900.

The photograph shows flower and newspaper sellers around Alfred Gilbert's (1854-1934) statue 'Eros' in Piccadilly Circus. Paul Martin disguised his camera within a leather case, going unnoticed as he took candid photographs of everyday life, although some of the people in this photograph seem to have noticed him.

A photograph of a busy London Street, taken by Paul Martin, c. 1900.

The photograph shows a policeman controlling the horse-drawn traffic on this busy street. A horse-drawn bus is visible behind the policeman in the centre. Paul Martin disguised his camera within a leather case, going unnoticed as he took candid photographs of everyday life.

A photograph of children playing in a river, taken by Paul Martin, c. 1900.

The photograph shows adults relaxing on the river bank whilst young girls and boys play in the water. Paul Martin disguised his camera within a leather case, going unnoticed as he took candid photographs of everyday life.

A photograph of a stall at a fairground, taken by Paul Martin, c. 1898.

The photograph shows boys looking at a stall of open tin cans. The photograph is one of a series taken by Martin at a fair, probably in one of the London parks. Paul Martin disguised his camera within a leather case, going unnoticed as he took candid photographs of everyday life.

A photograph of a crowd of people around a drinks fountain, taken by Paul Martin, c. 1898.

People crowd around the fountain as a woman dispenses the drink. Paul Martin disguised his camera within a leather case, going unnoticed as he took candid photographs of everyday life.

A photograph of children near a park, taken by Paul Martin, c. 1900.

The photograph shows a crowd of children gathering around the entrance to a London park. A boy in the foreground pushes a young child in a pram.

A photograph of a girl skipping, taken by Paul Martin in 1898.

The photograph shows a girl skipping over a rope swung by two men. A crowd have gathered near the swing-boats to watch. Two young boys in the foreground play with sticks in the sand. Paul Martin used a camera concealed in a leather case, meaning his subjects were largely unaware they were being photographed.

A photograph of a young girl taken by Paul Martin in 1898.

The photograph shows the girls walking down the pavement carrying a large glass pop bottle. The girl wears a wide-brimmed hat and white smock over her dress.

A photograph of a line of dancing women, taken by Paul Martin, c. 1898.

The photograph shows a group of women in elaborate hats with their arms around each other, dancing in a field. A crowd of men stand behind, the woman in the centre plays a mouth organ. Martin usually worked with a concealed camera, but in this case his subjects are aware they are being photographed.

A photograph of a barrel organ at a fair taken by Paul Martin in 1898.

The photograph shows a group of people around a barrel organ at a fair on Hampstead Heath, London. The organ sits on a cart pulled by a donkey, two young boys play on the grass in the foreground. Paul Martin disguised his camera within a leather case, going unnoticed as he took candid photographs of everyday life.

A photograph of a shooting range at a fairground, taken by Paul Martin, c. 1898.

The photograph shows a group of boys watching a man take aim on a fairground shooting range. The targets are clay tobacco pipes. Paul Martin used a camera concealed in a leather case, meaning his subjects were largely unaware they were being photographed.

A photograph of swing boats at a fairground, taken by Paul Martin in 1898.

The photograph shows crowds of people relaxing by the swing boats at a fair on Hampstead Heath, London. A woman on the right shelters herself from the sun with a parasol. Paul Martin used a camera concealed in a leather case, meaning his subjects were largely unaware they were being photographed.