William Fraser

Who is William Fraser? Although he's no relative of mine (my last name is spelled with a "z", not an "s"), we both share an interest in night photography. Or, maybe I should say, "shared" an interest in night photography.

(photo: William Fraser)

William Fraser took one of the earliest night photographs that I found for my night photography documentary film. The above photograph, A Wet Night: Columbus Circle, was taken around 1897 or 1898. Aside from being one of earliest artful night photographs, I love this image because it captures the cold, damp feel of the night (and it predates Brassai's brilliant foggy Parisian night work by 30 years).

I have no information on the size of the print, nor the medium he used to photograph it. If anyone can point me to any information about William Fraser, I would appreciate it.