On the Borgne

Paul Martin was a British photographer and filmmaker active from the 1880s through the early 20th century, pioneering the use of hand-held cameras to document everyday urban and seaside life. Working primarily with gelatin dry plates and early motion picture equipment, he captured candid street scenes, fairgrounds, and public spaces with a directness that predated the snapshot aesthetic by decades. His body of work constitutes an early documentary archive of British leisure culture and street activity.