Photos for the Future: 2

In March 1999 The History Channel launched a national project to build an archive of personal photographs that reflected life in the twentieth century. This project attracted huge public interest, with thousands of entries from all over Britain, and the result was a bestselling book, "Photos for the Future", in which almost 600 of the very best images were reproduced. Such was the response that the project has been relaunched for 2000. This book aims to reflect all manner of human behaviour and experiences from all periods of the 20th century. These pictures have come almost entirely from family photograph albums, and have never before been published. Each one tells a story - whether recalling days of national importance such as VE Day and the Coronation, or reflecting everyday aspects of life such as holidays by the sea, the workplace, and changing fashions. Memories of traditional ways of life are captured: tilling the land, the corner shop, tradesmen and pageants, for example. Likewise a picture of modern Britain emerges: shopping arcades, rock concerts and new technology.