Spider-webs. Photo by Alvin Langdon Coburn

Alvin Langdon Coburn (1882-1966) was an American-born photographer who spent most of his career in England. He was an important figure in the development of modernist photography and was a member of the Linked Ring, a British photographic society that promoted pictorialism. Coburn is best known for his atmospheric cityscapes and portraits, which often feature distorted perspectives and abstract compositions. He also experimented with techniques such as photogravure and vortography, which used multiple exposures and other optical effects to create images. Coburn's work was a major influence on later photographers, including Edward Steichen and Man Ray.