John Myers’ portraits of 1970s British suburbia

A salesman for selling sofa — Sofa salesman, 1979, by John Myers. © The artist. Courtesy of RRB PhotoBooks

(Image credit: Courtesy of RRB PhotoBooks)

In the 1970s, when most British documentary photographers were busily angling their lenses at the sociopolitical landscape of the time, John Myers focused on England’s under-appreciated ‘middle’. In particular, ‘a quiet, unremarkable town in the West Midlands’ called Stourbridge — his hometown. Over the decade, Myers would lug his hefty 5x4in large format camera around town, cataloguing his neighbours in a series of portraits, taken in their homes, workplaces, and even backyards.

‘I never set out to photograph a sociological cross-section of ages or types of people — I photographed people that I knew or that I came across in the daily round,’ Myers explains of the series, which has been published as a photobook, The Portraits. A visual record of British suburbia, Myers’ blunt photographs feature everyone from a velour-sofa salesman at his desk, to children in geometric knits and the middle-aged donning garish prints, surrounded by ornamental blown-glass. Each image says much about the history of design, as it does the lives and self-perceptions of the middle class in the 70s.

A lady is sitting on the couch — *Michelle, 1974, by John Myers. © The artist. Courtesy of RRB PhotoBooks*

Although, Myers’ portraits predominantly examine the spatial elements of portrait photography. Many of the subjects are boxed into the frame. The photographer had previously studied fine art at Newcastle, and so developed a sculptural sensibility in his image-making. ‘The space around the subject, whether it be a photograph of a house, garage, television or portrait, is as important as the subject itself,’ he says. ‘It is the space they inhabit.’

Another striking Myers’ hallmark is his use of a Gandolfi camera, a cumbersome device to use despite the advent of portable cameras. ‘I liked working with a Gandolfi plate camera, it slowed you down and limited you in the way that you took photographs,’ Myers explains. ‘I began to realise that the fairly lengthy experience did certain things to people, they began to inhabit their own skin and the animation and gesture of the moment gave way to something that was inherently about themselves.’

All communities weave their social interests and beliefs into the landscape they craft, and on a smaller scale individual expression can be tied up in the domestic space. Myers taps into this idea, offering a visually seductive window into how Stourbridge lived 40 years ago. A decade defined by recession and rising unemployment, when self-expression was vital. In comparison to today’s obsession with Scandi minimalism and Ikea, The Portraits make fascinating viewing.

Old lady taking rest — *Mrs Tate*, 1973, by John Myers. © The artist. Courtesy of RRB PhotoBooks

Cute little girl posing for the picture — *Andrea and monsteria*, 1974, by John Myers. *© The artist. Courtesy of RRB PhotoBooks*

Chubby girl on the bed — *Nicola and Donny Osmond*, 1973, by John Myers. *© The artist. Courtesy of RRB PhotoBooks*

A couple posing but in different angle — *Terry and Linda in flat*, 1973, by John Myers. *© The artist. Courtesy of RRB PhotoBooks*

A cute little boy and a girl — *Two children at Debbie’s birthday party*, 1973 by John Myers. *© The artist. Courtesy of RRB PhotoBooks*

They are his pet — *Peter Olley, Jessie and Eve*, 1973, by John Myers. *© The artist. Courtesy of RRB PhotoBooks*

Giraffe neck is too high — *Giraffe*, 1973, by John Myers. *© The artist. Courtesy of RRB PhotoBooks*

She is going to dance — *Ballerina*, 1973, by John Myers. *© The artist. Courtesy of RRB PhotoBooks*

INFORMATION

The Portraits, £75, published by RBB Books

Ellie Howard (she/her) is a journalist and writer based between Lisbon and London. Her interests include the built environment and contemporary visual culture, with a particular focus on photography.