About the AmberSide Collection
In 1968, Murray Martin, founder of Amber Film & Photography Collective, sought to create a collection of ‘documents of working class culture’. This project, known today as the AmberSide Collection, documents, preserves, and give voices to the working-class experience through film and photography. It is a socially committed, politically conscious, and artistically driven project that seeks to capture the realities of life in the North East of England and beyond.
"One of the most unique and distinctive bodies in the history of British documentary."
The AmberSide Collection is dedicated to preserving works that authentically represent the experiences of working-class communities. The collection includes works produced, commissioned, and acquired by the Amber Collective and Side, featuring both local and international photographers and filmmakers. Some notable contributors include Henri Cartier-Bresson, Weegee, Graciela Iturbide, and Eugene Richards.
The collection's development is guided by a commitment to documenting the North East's social and industrial narratives, ensuring that acquired works have a strong connection to the people of our region and emphasises the importance of building and maintaining cultural archives.
Today, The AmberSide Collection is a living archive of over 20,000 photographs and 100 films, preserving the social, architectural, and industrial history of the North East and international working class. This treasure trove extends beyond Amber’s own photography, embracing historic works like The Building of the Tyne Bridge and projects by working-class photographers, such as Jimmy Forsyth.
The AmberSide Trust, safeguards these works for future generations, ensuring the region’s cultural memory remains accessible and intact. Housed at Side, the AmberSide Collection stands testament to the Amber Collective’s enduring role as documenters and custodians of the North East’s heritage.
"It’s such a serious and important endeavour, but it’s done with such delight and celebration and care. It’s exemplary."
The AmberSide Collection Includes:
Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen – 11 bodies of work including Byker and Byker Revisited.
Tish Murtha – Juvenile Jazz Bands, Youth Unemployment, and various other work.
Nick Hedges – Fishing Industry
Isabela Jedrzejczyk – 9 bodies of work including Jungle Portraits, North Yorkshire Leadmines, Coalyards and Druridge Bay
Mik Critchlow – 5 bodies of work including Ashington, Seafarers, Bedlington Miners’ Picnic, and Sea Coal.
Graham Smith – 8 bodies of work including Consett, Middlesbrough South Bank, Skinningrove, and Newcastle Quayside.
Chris Killip - 10 bodies of work including Skinheads, People in Power, Askam & Skinningrove, and The Isle of Man.
Bill Brandt – Bill Brandt on Tyneside.
Lambton Visual Aids – Educational slides, including urban architecture, shop fronts, fairground architecture, and copies from early 20th century books and magazines.
