October 7th 1986 was the day The Independent newspaper arrived. Its design and brave use of pictures came as a shock in many newsrooms. The impact on other newspapers was dramatic, it was as if someone had lit a fuse and then stood back to watch the explosive result.

The use of pictures across many columns of the broadsheet newspaper was a revelation and other broadsheets had to fight hard to keep up.

Picture Editors and sub editor responded where possible with bigger pictures. For a little while the photographers were the stars of the show and not just there to fill spaces. The Independent is now an online newspaper but its print legacy lingers on.

We at Fleets Streets Finest are privileged to bring you a little of the flavour of the work that made the ‘Indy’ and its photography the talk of the town and set the pace for newspapers for a decade.

We offer just a little of the work of Brian Harris, John Voos, Tom Pilston and David Ashdown who worked for the Independent for many years filling the pages with award winning pictures that made others in Fleet Street pay attention to the value of photography and a better understanding of the work of great photographers.