In Search of Small-Town America

The ’50-50 Project’ began in Albuquerque, New Mexico – Long before Donald Trump blinged-up the Oval Office. A three hundred and fifty day extended Road-trip – covering over 32,000 road miles, and a fair few thousand in the air, visiting all fifty American States – in as many weeks.

Published in seventeen volumes – available as pdf downloads, and in a new ‘duplex’ format – the work is a collection of around 4,000 photographs and over 370,000 words, exploring the many differing processes affecting the deterioration of much of Small-Town America.

It is in no way intended as an authoritative work, or as a comprehensive travelogue, and although focused primarily on small-town culture, it is very much a random and personal view: A variety of incidental observations; societal, media and political comment, and carefully considered insight.

Often related with caustically casual humour, and with a sprinkling of expletives thrown-in, it's an occasionally flippant, but always informed view of an iconic part of the wide American landscape – looking back with fondness, to much simpler times.

An ‘Historical record’ of how things were in North America, at the start of the twenty-first century.

REGISTERED BY THE BRITISH LIBRARY: ISBN 978-1-3999-4150-1

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Volume One

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  • Viewed and described inevitably and necessarily, from a subjective experience, its intention is to inform a predominantly objective view. A meticulously crafted narrative, interwoven with a gallery of precisely framed and thought-provoking images, the work alludes primarily to the lamentable demise of so many small American towns. As an all-too typical, and singular example:

    “Wal*Mart not only offers an incredibly wide range of products, and of course: ‘Low prices – Always’, but also, hard to come-by employment opportunities. Faced with the existent probability of decimating 'downtown', what are the financially challenged folks to do. Stick-up for the preservation of the somewhat pricey, local hardware store, or go find super-cheap light-bulbs – and maybe a job even – at the brand-spanking-new hyper-market.”

What Readers are Saying…

  • Wayne Jackman

    The work is a unique and innovative mix of superb photographs, and an eloquent but quirky, daily diary – as the author voyages on a daunting solo trip through every State in America – in one year!

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  • Susan Toft

    This is unlike anything I've ever read before, with an intriguing combination of pictures and prose, interwoven in such a perceptive, and imaginative way. This is 'Click-Lit' – and I'm coining the phrase.

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  • Michael Hearn

    I was captivated by this work, and the ambitious intention, but the methodical way in which the author has carried it out in such wonderful detail of words and images, is nothing short of astonishing.

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