Lowry developed a distinctive style of painting and is best known for his urban landscapes peopled with human figures, often referred to as "matchstick men". He painted mysterious unpopulated landscapes, brooding portraits and the unpublished "marionette" works, which were only found after his death.

Shelley Rohde first met Lowry when she was working for the Daily Mail, and with Granada Television she subsequently made the award-winning documentary, L S Lowry: A Private View. She met Lowry on several occasions, publishing her biography on the artist in 1979.