Parr said his brightly coloured, closely observed pictures of British life were ‘disguised as entertainment’ but they became hugely popular

Martin Parr, the British documentary photographer who captured the peculiarities of the nation with clarity and hilarity, has died aged 73. He had been diagnosed with cancer in May 2021.

Known for his acute observations of the English class system, Parr’s images covered sunbathers and Conservative clubs, village fetes and coffee mornings, often in vivid colour and with more than a dash of humour. His iconic 1986 photobook The Last Resort: Photographs of New Brighton captured working-class holidaymakers in the Wirral, Liverpool and helped mark a sea change in British documentary photography, from the gritty, black and white style of the past towards a cheekier and more colourful style.

Parr said his brightly coloured, closely observed pictures of British life were ‘disguised as entertainment’ but they became hugely popular

Martin Parr, the British documentary photographer who captured the peculiarities of the nation with clarity and hilarity, has died aged 73. He had been diagnosed with cancer in May 2021.

Known for his acute observations of the English class system, Parr’s images covered sunbathers and Conservative clubs, village fetes and coffee mornings, often in vivid colour and with more than a dash of humour. His iconic 1986 photobook The Last Resort: Photographs of New Brighton captured working-class holidaymakers in the Wirral, Liverpool and helped mark a sea change in British documentary photography, from the gritty, black and white style of the past towards a cheekier and more colourful style.

Parr said his brightly coloured, closely observed pictures of British life were ‘disguised as entertainment’ but they became hugely popular

Martin Parr, the British documentary photographer who captured the peculiarities of the nation with clarity and hilarity, has died aged 73. He had been diagnosed with cancer in May 2021.

Known for his acute observations of the English class system, Parr’s images covered sunbathers and Conservative clubs, village fetes and coffee mornings, often in vivid colour and with more than a dash of humour. His iconic 1986 photobook The Last Resort: Photographs of New Brighton captured working-class holidaymakers in the Wirral, Liverpool and helped mark a sea change in British documentary photography, from the gritty, black and white style of the past towards a cheekier and more colourful style.