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What can be learned today from where shells once rained and innocence died? How long does it take to move on? A lifetime? A century?

Occasionally, a new book will come along that takes a highly original and dynamic approach to a much-documented subject. A Century On is just such a book.

Through exploring a tragic past by depicting the present, A Century On will take you on a thoroughly modern, thought provoking journey through the ongoing consequences and legacies of the First World War, and the people whose lives they impact to this day.  

Does a war end at an armistice or the signing of a treaty? No, the reality is actually far from it.

In November 1918, the guns of the First World War fell silent for the last time, however - and in ways you won't imagine - the consequences and legacies of that century past conflict persist to this day. 

Through a series of over a hundred striking photographs and accompanied by the words of those portrayed in them, let A Century On take you into the lives of these people, and to the tunnels, archives, workshops, laboratories and military units  where the often significant impacts of a century past war are still very much alive. 

A Century On is a people-focussed, large-format photo graphic documentary book that depicts both human endeavour, and how we as society are capable of turning the tragedy of war into an opportunity for the education and benefit of future generations. A Century On is nothing less than a landmark book in its pictorial approach to exploring post-conflict achievement and reconciliation.

This then, is an important book; with its narrative being of such universal relevance, it is also one that should not be ignored. And the people portrayed its photographs? Yes, they matter too. They are the reason this book exists; their achievements are significant and deserved to be acknowledged. 

This extraordinary book's production is complete, but now needs to take the final step and to bring it to print; this will only be made possible with the essential support of a sponsor. If the publication of this unique and thought-provoking book is something you, your business or organisation are keen to contribute towards, the author would be very pleased to hear from you. His contact details can be found at the bottom of the page.

A brief overview of A Century On

A book of over 9 years production, through its three distinct chapters, illustrated with over 100 of the artists own photographs spread across more than 250 pages, A Century On is a truly original publication.

This is not a book of war but one of people. In the artist's desire to keep the all-important human element central to the book's narrative, each of its contemporary photographs is accompanied by quotes of those portrayed. Rich in philosophy and in its depiction of human endeavour, this is a book of latter day role models, of people who from who we can learn.

Here then, a synopsis of this book's three chapters:

Chapter 1: Recovering The Past

Chapter 1 of A Century On is comprised of the 25 striking montage images and accompanying text of the internationally exhibited and unrivalled project entitled Recovering The Past. A compelling and poignant visual exploration of the consequences of war, the images of Recovering The Past represent a look to the past of this chronilogically sequenced book.

Through thousands of dedicated cemeteries and memorials, society rightly remembers the men who died in battles of the Great War. For its embattled survivors, the war-widows and orphans, and the mothers who grieved for lost sons, a very different story exists. With no such commemorative sites dedicated to the millions of these men and women and children who endured great personal suffering in the years after the Armistice, their plight has been all but forgotten. Recovering The Past raises the profile of these people, and in doing so, has given them a long overdue and much deserved voice. Take the sad but not unique case of Evan Joseph Derby of Canning Street Melbourne: 

”My mind is a blank - this will break my wife’s heart.”

The ever-poignant words on the note found with the revolver that Evan used to take his own life, suffering from depression having been wounded and twice gassed in the Great War, Evan left a widow and four children. Despite having survived the war and with a family for support, Evan's resulting suicide from the mental traumas suffered through his wartime experiences proved too much to bare.

Established in 1920 on the former battlefields of Passchendaele, DOVO-SEDEE - the Belgian army's bomb-disposal team have now embarked on their second century of operations collecting the millions of unexploded shells from the former First World War battlefields of Flanders. Recovering approximately 200 tonnes of unexploded century old ammunition per year, it is expected that this team will be working for many years to come.

Post-conflict human trauma and unexploded ammunition; these consequences are not unique to the Great War alone, they apply to all conflicts since and likely those to come. In exploring these less understood aspects of human conflict, this chapter carries a universal message, and as such its importance cannot be underestimated. 

Filmed over a period of six years alongside the personnel of DOVO-SEDEE, through its beautifully crafted montage images, Recovering The Past sets new and impressive standards in both its narrative and execution. First displayed at the Palais Des Nations, Geneva courtesy of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in 2017, it was proudly displayed for a period of six months at the In Flanders Fields Museum, Ypres, as a component of the centenary commemorations to Passchendaele. The recipient of funding from Australia's Queensland State Government, Recovering The Past is currently touring galleries across Australia.

Chapter 2: Operations

How must it feel to wire-brush, corrosion from century old unexploded ammunition for a living? It's not an easy concept to grasp is it, but specially trained personnel of DOVO-SEDEE undertake this exact task day-in, day-out.

Each of the 12 vibrant, behind-the-scenes images in Chapter 2 of A Century On reveal many of the carefully controlled processes involved in the recovery, identification and destruction of the enormous quantities of unexploded ammunition recovered from Belgium's former Great War battlefields.

Chronologically representing the present, in its own unique way, Operations reinforces this striking book's narrative in it being not a study of war itself, but instead, one of people, people whose lives are impacted to this day by a century past conflict. 

In both chapter 1 and 2 of A Century On, the enormous risks undertaken by DOVO-SEDEE is made ever more real through the inclusion of quotes from its currently serving personnel:

 “My family have reluctantly accepted that I do this kind of work” 

Courtesy of fully-authorised and unprecedented access to previously undocumented processes, Operations will take you into the heart of the high-risk work undertaken to identify and destroy the circa 8000 shells recovered annually. The courage of the personnel photographed for this chapter will become all too obvious to the reader, and is a striking example of the human endeavour revealed throughout this impressive book.

Chapter 3: Securing The Legacy

How on earth can the First World War possibly be affecting the 21st century world? Well, it does, frequently, and in more ways than you can imagine. Tunnellers, scientists archivists, guides, farmers - to name but a few - for these and many more people besides, the ongoing impact of the First World War is a daily reality. Securing The Legacy invites you into the lives of those who operate in subterranean worlds, laboratories, workshops and factories where through often revealing ways, legacies of World War One persist to this day.

Chapter 3 of A Century On is comprised of over 70 striking, contemporary environmental portraits - each accompanied by a short paragraph of explanatory text - of individuals whose lives are routinely impacted in some form by the First World War. Their work is of the utmost importance; collectively their efforts will carry the remembrance of that conflict forwards now that its official commemorations have come to an end. A Century On brings the work of this metaphorical army of often low-profile yet highly dedicated individuals to the fore. This then is not a conventional history book of the First World War, but instead, a powerful and philosophical depiction of latter-day role models.

In keeping with chapter's 1 and 2, Securing The Legacy acknowledges the vital human focus of this impressive book through a series of quotes of those portrayed in its photographs. 

Summary

In completeness, A Century On is a standalone volume; rich in imagery, of short concise text and an exciting new narrative. A Century On sets  new standards in its recognition and depiction of post-conflict human achievement. 

Where did my inspiration for this book come from?

In August 1916 my great-grandfather Henry George Spearing was shot in the spine during the Battle of the Somme. He survived but was invalided home, paralysed from the waist down. The injury was his alone, but its consequences were not. Wheelchair bound till his death in 1936, my great-grandmother Louisa Jane became his permanent carer. Despite having never gone near the war itself, for 20 years her own inevitably compromised life had become a consequence of it. They are the inspiration behind this book.

Artist Ian Alderman - the production of A Century On

From the first concept work being completed in 2009, shooting began in earnest in 2011. The many and often memorable situations I experienced during the 9 years of production of this book have made this a remarkable personal journey. Each and every image in this book was only made possible with the support of those portrayed. The long-term and privileged level of support I've been given by the Belgian army's bomb disposal team deserves special mention. Their long-term commitment to this project resulted in the ground-breaking and internationally exhibited Recovering The Past. 

All that now lies ahead is getting A Century On to publication.

As the artist that has invested so heavily in this intrepid non-commissioned book project, my wholesale belief in the human spirit is reflected through the individuals portrayed and who have made this project so special.

Your support 

To bring this beautiful book to publication, I am seeking sponsors. If you as an individual, or through your business or organisation identify with the this book's human focussed narrative and would like to contribute towards its publication I would be very pleased to hear from you.

You can contact the author on ian@ianalderman.com

What lies ahead?

A crowd-campaign will be launched soon in an effort to raise the capital needed to publish this book. The campaign's details will be featured here; your support could make all the difference to securing a bright future for A Century On. 

Additional information

Recovering The Past has its own bespoke website featuring a comprehensive breakdown of the project, its exhibition history and forthcoming program, news, and print sales. 

www.recoveringthepast.com