Photograph by Edwin Smith

Somerstown, London, 1936

People are usually incidental in Edwin Smith's photographs. In his early work, he was consciously working in a social documentary style (circus folk, miners, street life, etc.), but as time progressed his inclusion of human subjects was usually down to serendipity at the moment of exposure. This picture was taken while he was still working with a hand-held camera on the street and yet to make the transition to the formal architectural style he was to make his own.
Here the subject that attracted him is undoubtedly the architecture of the houses, the railings and shadows, but the well-wrapped figure in transit provides an interesting bonus and completes the composition.