A Giant’s life through a lens
A special book and DVD which capture Liverpool’s biggest ever event goes on sale this Friday (7 November).
On the Shoulders of Giants chronicles the city’s giant spectacular Memories of August 1914 which brought Liverpool to an awestruck standstill in July when a million people welcomed three very special visitors.
The 104 page book comes with the stunning DVD and both relive the visit of the Grandmother Giant, Little Girl Giant and her pet dog Xolo as they came to the city to mark the centenary of the outbreak of World War One.
Following a call out in August which urged those who were part of the huge crowds to send in any outstanding images, more than a thousand were received. After an intense whittling down process, 21 lucky amateur ‘toggies’ have had their images published along with those of around a dozen professional photographers.
The glossy publication is full of 150 beautiful images in total.
To celebrate the release of the book and DVD, the photographers whose work will be showcased, will get the first glimpse of their work in print on Thursday 6 November at 5pm, in the location where it all began with a sleeping Grandmother Giant – St George’s Hall.
Assistant Mayor and Cabinet Member for Culture and Tourism, Councillor Wendy Simon, said: “Three months after the event, and people still talk to me about the impact the return of the giants had on them. It was an unforgettable five days in the history of the city and these two special souvenir items are sure to bring back some wonderful memories. Since July, there has been a huge amount of demand for a book or DVD which people can either enjoy themselves or buy for loved ones at Christmas – so we’re delighted to be able to produce both!”
On the Shoulders of Giants, which includes the DVD, has been published by Trinity Mirror and costs £9.99. It will be available to buy from Liverpool Waterstones, WH Smith, other independent book stores across the city as well as the Tourist Information Centres at Liverpool Lime Street station, the Albert Dock and Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
It can also be ordered online from Friday at archive.giantspectacular.com/merchandise and www.merseyshop.com.