Who We Are
Joshua Herman, Editorial Director
Joshua Herman is the Editorial Director and originating vision behind Act One: A Century in the Making, conceiving the publication as an ambitious examination of the first quarter of the 21st century through photography and original essays.
As Editorial Director, he developed the book’s thematic structure and overall editorial framework, organizing its chapters, conceptual flow, and narrative progression. Herman assembled and worked closely with the project’s eight contributing scholars and writers, shaping the intellectual foundation of the publication and serving as the principal editorial collaborator throughout the development of their essays.
In addition to overseeing the publication’s broader editorial direction, Herman also wrote and edited the photographic essays accompanying the visual sections of the book, helping bring more than one hundred photographers and multiple essayists into a unified and cohesive work.
Marc Asnin, Creative & Visual Director
Marc Asnin is an award-winning documentary photographer and the Creative & Visual Director of Act One: A Century in the Making. For the project, Asnin brought together more than 100 photographers working across a broad range of genres, perspectives, and subject matter, helping shape the publication’s overall visual and curatorial direction.
Drawing from documentary, fine art, and conceptual photography, Asnin curated a wide-ranging body of work that reflects the layered and fragmented realities of the first decades of the 21st century. His approach embraces the distinct visual languages of each tradition, bringing them into conversation to create a photographic narrative that moves between intimacy, symbolism, observation, and historical reflection.
As Creative & Visual Director, he oversees the editing, sequencing, and visual structure of the book, building a cohesive visual experience that reflects the complexity, tension, and emotional breadth of contemporary life.
Edwin van Gelder, Designer
Bringing his internationally acclaimed design sensibility to the project as the founder of Mainstudio in Amsterdam, Edwin van Gelder is known for his conceptual, typographically driven approach to visual communication across art, architecture, and publishing. His work merges clarity with experimentation, giving Act One a distinct visual identity that reflects both its historical depth and contemporary relevance.
Working in close collaboration with Joshua Herman and Marc Asnin throughout the development of the publication, van Gelder has helped translate the project’s broader editorial and curatorial vision into a cohesive visual form. Through the integration of typography, sequencing, pacing, and image relationships, his design approach plays a central role in shaping the immersive experience and overall visual language of Act One.