Reference Code

GB243 T/SOR/40

Title

John Frew Collection

Dates of Creation

1970s – 1990s

Extent

I archive box and 26.4MB

Name of Creators

Material collected by John Frew.

Level of Description

Fonds

Administrative History

John Frew was involved in politics from an early age. During the late 1970’s and into the 1980’s he was an active member of The Clydeside Anarchists, worked on the West End Crimes news-sheet amongst others with Autonomy Press in The Glasgow Collective Bookshop and was active in the Anti-Poll Tax campaign, Anti Nazi League and the Miners Strike. He was heavily involved in student politics in the 1980’s and was Editor of a number of publications including: Limited Edition; 57°North, North East Green Diary; Techbeat and numerous student publications

In 1986, while a student at Glasgow Caledonian he co-founded MediaTech, a multimedia event and production organisation. MediaTech were involved in many projects, from multi-media events to a forty minute video production called Double Exposure, edited and produced in the University TV studios and filmed on location in Glasgow. All the events where filmed. MediaTech also organised gigs which highlighted local and student talent.

In 1989 John founded The Shadow, also part of MediaTech, a magazine produced in Bearsden. he was both responsible for all aspects of the magazine: production; distribution; finance; design and editing.

John was also involved, mainly in the design of publicity materials, with many community based groups including: Mischief La Bas; Cosy Comedy Club; Drink and Drug Abuse (Ayrshire and Arran Health Board); Glasgow’s first International Film Festival and the Bowling Community Gala.

He was the Graphic Designer for Framingo Records, a record label he and three friends created. They released ten CD’s and three 7” singles, John designed the labels and sleeves and any publicity to promote the CD’s and vinyl. They also organized showcase gigs which John designed the publicity material for.

He was also involved in Radio Gladice, a Gay pirate radio station, as DJ Adams Adam. John is also a political poet and an occasional stand up comic. He was recently a committee member of the Paisley Photographic Society. John sadly passed away after a long illness on 26 December 2022.

Scope and Content

This collection includes: hand made posters for music and political events; political collage; magazines; news-sheets; serials (including student publications); newspaper cuttings and materials relating to: the miners strike; the anti-poll tax movement; the direct action movement; free festivals; the Free University Network; Variant magazine and Radio Gladice (including four mixed tapes by DJ Adams Adam).

System of Arrangement

Items have been arranged according to subject and record type. The following items have been removed to construct complete, or near complete, runs of publications from individual collections. This decision was taken by Spirit of Revolt to reduce duplications and make the publications more accessible to researchers:

Class War, Bash The Rich, 1985 (T/SOR/10).

Direct Action, No’s 15, 26, 44 (T/SOR13).

Custodial History

Material collected and held by John Frew.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

John Frew

Appraisal, Destruction, Scheduling

Appraised according to the Spirit of Revolt appraisal policy.

Accruals

Further accruals expected.

Access Conditions

Open

Copyright Reproduction

Application for reproduction should be made to the Spirit of Revolt group.

Existence of Copies

No known copies.

Finding Aids

Descriptive list available at Glasgow City Archives and on the Spirit of Revolt website.

Publication Note

No known publications.

Related collections

Other Spirit of Revolt (Ref: T/SOR) collections held at Glasgow City Archives.

Date(s) of Description

Compiled by Paula Larkin (Project Archivist), August 2019.