Harmony in the Lowest Home: The Guitar and the Labouring Poor

This talk with guest speaker Professor Christopher Page, focusses on how the guitar became an accessible musical instrument across all classes during the 1830s. By this time, guitars could be bought very cheaply from pawnbrokers, market stalls and 'musical repositories' which came about in response to the spread of musical amateurism. Page will explore how the instrument was used by the working class for self-improvement and the snobbery of the privileged class towards it.