They Live By Night: Noir by Kniesche

Photography needs light, right? Usually quite a lot, if you don't want your image to turn out blurry. Most of us have taken a photo of birthday candles being blown out only to capture streaks of light and a niece that looks startlingly like Edvard Munch's The Scream.

Welcome to the first installment of our new series, “They Live By Night,” featuring photographers who braved the darkness and captured some of our collection's most unique images. The technical skill alone is admirable, but the artistic merit makes many of these photos personal favorites of mine (Dan). Here is our first look into the mysterious and beautiful world of night photography, featuring photos by Robert Kniesche (1906-1976).

PP79.397.1. “Holdup story, 'stick-up', Jim Amos”. Photo by Robert F. Kniesche (1906-1976). July 1958. Kniesche Collection, MdHS.

PP79.393. Untitled [Night Scene]. Photo by Robert F. Kniesche (1906-1976). 1957. Kniesche Collection, MdHS.

PP79.561.2. Untitled [The Block, night scene.] Photo by Robert F. Kniesche (1906-1976). 1963. Kniesche Collection, MdHS.