World War One statue Liverpool, Merseyside, UK, The December 15th Christmas Truce People's sculpture, shaking hands, enemy soldiers commemorating the famous truce of Christmas Day 1915 unveiled at Liverpool’s Bombed Out Church. The statue, named All Together Now, designed by sculptor Andy Edwards depicts a British and a German soldier greeting each other with a football by their side. It captures the remarkable moment in December 1915 when World War One WW1 enemy soldiers along No Mans Land on the Western Front laid down their weapons and emerged from their trenches to shake hands
"A sculpture commemorating the famous truce of Christmas Day 1914 was unveiled at Liverpool’s Bombed Out Church by Rachel Plant the Lady Mayoress of Liverpool for the year 2014/15. The statue, named All Together Now, was designed by sculptor Andy Edwards and depicts a British and a German soldier greeting each other with a football by their side. It captures the remarkable moment in December 1914 when enemy soldiers along the Western Front laid down their weapons and emerged from their trenches to shake hands, sing carols, exchange rations, and even take part in small-scale kickabouts. One hundred years on, the memory of the brief transformation of No-¬Man’s land into a football field remains an enduring symbol of the triumph of peace and common humanity over conflict, and Tom Calderbank, the Liverpool creative activist who curated the display in the church, hopes the visiting public will take the message of peace away with them. Mr. Calderbank said: “The sculpture is a symbol of hope and peace and is about the gap between where we want to be and where we are. “160 million people have been killed worldwide in conflict since the truce which this statue commemorates. We cannot allow the next 100 years to be like the past 100 years, and I hope that the people who touch this statue will leave transformed and work for peace.” The unveiling of the statue came on the same day as the launch of the Peace Collective’s charity single, also entitled All Together Now. Mr. Calderbank explained that the sculpture is connected to the song in more than just name: “The artist’s inspiration for the sculpture didn’t just come from events 100 years ago but also from that song and we really hope that All Together Now will make it to Christmas number one.” “We won’t stop war but we can reduce its frequency, and that is what it’s all about.” In addition to hosting the statue, the church is also draped in football scarves from clubs all across the world." Source Liverpool Echo
Size: 3600px × 2400px
Location: Liverpool, Merseyside, UK
Photo credit: © MediaWorldImages / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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