During the 1970s, juvenile jazz bands were at their peak in the working-class towns and villages of the UK’s coalfields. For those unfamiliar with juvenile jazz bands, they are children’s marching bands that originated in Welsh mining towns during the Great Depression of the 1930s. These bands provided affordable family entertainment amidst the economic downturn and were inspired by the miners’ union and colliery brass bands.
Get Carter
In their heyday, jazz bands were particularly popular in the North East of England, with the majority of pit villages having their own band. The bands would compete in regional and national competitions, marching through estates and villages dressed in pseudo-military attire, playing kazoos, drums, and glockenspiels to songs such as “When the Saints Go Marching In” and other traditional arrangements. The juvenile jazz band, “The Pelaw Hussars,” even appeared in “Get Carter,” the acclaimed film starring Michael Caine, which was filmed on location in the area during 1970.
Photo © Ella Murtha, all rights reserved.
Toy Bands
Tish’s approach to the Juvenile Jazz Bands series earned her quite a reputation locally at the time. Tish felt that they were political, militaristic, and harmful to its young members, crushing out normal childlike behavior alongside any spark of individuality.
"To be accepted into, and remain in the Juvenile 'Jazz' Band a child must put aside all normal behaviour, and become the plaything of the failed soldier, the ex-armed forces members and their ilk; any spark of individuality is crushed by the military training imposed, until the child's actions resemble those of a mechanical tin soldier, acting out the confused fantasies of an older generation."
"The political associations and affinities these bands cultivate with certain right-wing movements makes their existence doubly disturbing. A Sunday Mirror article (summer, 1977) reports an incident in which a Juvenile "Jazz' Band, booked by the National Front to lead one of its marches through the London area, was ordered to remove two of its young coloured members, before being allowed to continue the March; the band in question complied, with total disregard to either its tull implications or the personal feelings of the kids involved."
Jazz Band Rejects
Initially, Tish had the support of the people who managed the bands, as they thought that her photographs would be glamorous. However, when Tish noticed that the jazz band rejects, who played on the streets, were not allowed to join these groups, it struck a chord with her. As a result, she captured images of the bands dressed in their finery, alongside the children from the backstreets, who played with their toy instruments, imitating the real bands.
Photo © Ella Murtha, all rights reserved.
The Demon Snapper
The resulting images from the series, along with Tish’s outspoken views on jazz bands, caused a stir. Members of the public wrote to the local press to express their opposing opinions, with one article in the Newcastle Evening Chronicle titled “The Demon Snapper.” This label was given to Tish by a frustrated parent of a jazz band member.
Photo © Ella Murtha, all rights reserved.
Societal Injustice
Tish Murtha was just 22 years old when she created her Jazz Band Series and exhibition at Newcastle’s Side Gallery. Tish felt a strong passion for the communities of Newcastle’s West End, and she used her camera to highlight what she saw as a societal injustice.
“These pictures were taken in the West End of Newcastle, an area categorised by and noted for its inadequate facilities, including everything from housing to public telephones. Children’s leisure activities are no exception, and the ‘Jazz’ band reigns supreme – as much of a feature of the area as the high-rise flats and the local Dole office,” – Tish Murtha, 1979.
Gallery
Photo © Ella Murtha, all rights reserved.
Photo © Ella Murtha, all rights reserved.
Photo © Ella Murtha, all rights reserved.
Photo © Ella Murtha, all rights reserved.
Photo © Ella Murtha, all rights reserved.
Photo © Ella Murtha, all rights reserved.
Photo © Ella Murtha, all rights reserved.
Photo © Ella Murtha, all rights reserved.
Photo © Ella Murtha, all rights reserved.
A Woman's Work Exhibtion
A selection of Tish Murtha’s works from “Elswick Kids” (1978) and “Youth Unemployment” (1981) were exhibited as a part of BCA’s debut exhibition at The Social in 2019. Additionally, a selection of her works is also a part of our touring exhibition – A Woman’s Work.
Tish Murtha Film
“A film about Tish will be released in 2023. The feature-length documentary, directed by Paul Sng, will be an essential part of preserving the legacy of one of the greatest documentary photographers of her generation. Having worked closely with the Tish Murtha Archive for many years, this is a film that we are incredibly excited about.
Tish Murtha’s images of those on the margins of society challenged and documented the inequalities faced by working-class communities. In equal measures, they celebrated what it means to be working-class. The documentary will present an intimate exploration of Tish’s motivations and political views, the challenges she faced as a young, working-class woman from the Northeast, and the value society places on working-class communities and artists.
At a time when it is harder than ever for art to get made and we feel the bite of another major recession following years of hard austerity, we’re thrilled to elevate the story of a female working-class artist and a story from the northeast of Britain told by a team of filmmakers with strong ties to those same communities.”
Follow @tishmurthafilm on Instagram for updates.
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- Article first published
- March 3, 2020
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