Andrew Pitcairn-Knowles (born Rotterdam 1871, died Hastings 1956) was a pioneering photographic journalist who published his work in the new illustrated magazines of the late 19th and early 20th century. From the turn of the century he travelled around Europe, living in Berlin, Brussels, Paris and Jersey. With his eye for detail, timing and geometry, he accurately captured the leisure activities, sports and customs of the period. Besides their documentary value, his photographs have a quirky and almost surreal quality.
Pitcairn-Knowles was interested in documenting local habits and customs, especially in the catching and consumption of fish and other sea animals. A brochure offering Pitcairn-Knowles’ photographs to publishers of illustrated works describes the photographer and Gordon Pitcairn-Knowles (his son and assistant), seeking to record off-beat local customs and practices: ‘They leave it to others to deal with subjects which meet the eye in every picture-card shop and in the daily newspapers, penetrating into out-of-the-way corners and little travelled parts, getting into close touch with the people and obtaining an insight into their occupations and methods, their pleasures and pastimes. Thus from the point of view of picturesqueness, quaintness and human nature interest, the results obtained are remarkable. The thousands of photographs and the written records of Mr. Pitcairn-Knowles’ countless experiences in those parts of Holland, Flanders, France, Corsica, etc., where the fascinating old-world doings and practices are still in existence, add considerably to the interest of this valuable collection.’