Arthur Mole and John Thomas

Yesterday was Veterans Day and I thought about my Dad and Mom. Both were in World War II. Dad and Mom served in the Navy. (Mom was in the WAVES). Granddad Davis enlisted in the army during World War I. During World War I there were two photographers whose work I admire.

Arthur Mole and John Thomas, at a time when photography was still at it's emerging stage, produced a series of extraordinary photographic spectacles using large groups of people to form shapes of religious and national symbols. Arthur Mole initially developed this technique to create religious symbols photographing fellow church members. When the United States entered World War I, Mole and his colleague John Thomas turned to patriotic themes choreographing thousands of military troops and other groups to form American patriotic symbols, emblems, and military insignia. Arthur Mole photographed these formations from an 80-foot viewing tower using an 11 x 14-inch camera. Mole called them “living photographs.”

Here are some examples of Mole and Thomas's photographic creations.

"Living Portrait of Woodrow Wilson" created in 1918 with 21,000 officers and men.

"The Human U.S. Shield" (1918) by 30,000 officers and men.

"Human Statue of Liberty" (1918); 18,000 officers and men.

"The Living allied flags" (1918)

"The Human Liberty Bell" (1918); 25000 officers and men.

"Machine Gun Insignia" (1918); 22500 officers and men, 600 machine guns.

"The Zion Shield" (1920)

"The Living Uncle Sam" (1919)




"Living Emblem of the United States Marines" (1919)

Arthur S. Mole and John D. Thomas made these "living photographs," to use Mole's terminology, to boost the war effort and public morale. No matter what your first impression--curiosity, shock, or doubt--their work definitely captures attention.

Below is a little explanation of photographic methods.

When making the group photos, they first traced the symbolic shape on a ground-glass plate mounted on Mole's camera. Then it was outlined on the field with fabric staked to the ground where the group would assemble. A sample section within the outline was used to calculate the total number of men needed to fill in the whole space. Next, it was determined who would wear dark uniforms and who would wear light colored ones to mimic the black and white photographic tones.

Mole directed the crowd by megaphone from a tower built just for this purpose (as high as 80 feet). He moved the "human pixels" into position by means of voice commands, grossly animated gestures, and a flag for pointing directions. Close ups of photo sections are especially endearing since it's possible to pick out a nod here, a conversation between friends there. Descendants have been able to spot loved ones standing in the front rows.