During World War I, the United States military looked for ways to boost patriotism and morale. They commissioned English-born photographer Arthur Mole and his assistant John Thomas to create a series of unique group portraits. Between 1915 and 1921, these men produced about thirty massive images. Mole called these creations “living photographs.” Each picture was made entirely of thousands of soldiers and military staff standing in specific formations. These formations represented symbols of American identity and military pride.
The Planning and Construction Process
The creation of a living photograph was a difficult military exercise that required careful planning. Each project took a week or more to prepare before the soldiers ever arrived on the field. Arthur Mole began by tracing the desired image with thin wire onto a glass plate. He mounted this glass plate directly onto his camera. He then positioned his equipment at the top of an 80-foot-high viewing tower. From this height, he could see the entire field through the wire template on his camera lens.
Mole used a megaphone and a large pointing stick to direct his team on the ground. His assistants spent days nailing down miles of white lace edging. They followed Mole’s instructions to trace the exact pattern onto the grass. This lace acted as a boundary for the soldiers. Once the outline was complete, thousands of servicemen moved into the design to fill the empty spaces. The soldiers had to stand perfectly still for long periods while the photograph was taken.
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The Use of Anamorphic Perspective
The living photographs relied on a technique called anamorphic perspective. This means the images did not look correct from the ground or from a bird’s-eye view directly overhead. The design only made sense when viewed from the specific angle of Mole’s camera on his 80-foot tower. Because the camera was at an angle, objects farther away looked smaller than objects close to the tower. To fix this, Mole had to put many more people at the top of the design than at the bottom.
The Human Statue of Liberty at Camp Dodge in Iowa is a clear example of this distortion. The base of the statue required only 17 men because it was closer to the camera. The torch of the statue was more than half a mile away from the base. To make the torch look the correct size in the photo, Mole placed 12,000 men in that section alone. A total of 18,000 officers and men participated in this single photograph. If a person had flown over the field during the shoot, they would have seen a massive, bulging torch and tiny feet.
The Human Liberty Bell and U.S. Shield
In New Jersey, Mole and Thomas traveled to Camp Dix to create the Human Liberty Bell. This project involved 25,000 officers and men. The soldiers stood in rows to form the shape of the bell, including the famous crack and the wooden beam at the top. The density of the crowd varied throughout the image to create the illusion of shadows and three-dimensional depth.
The largest project in the series was the Human U.S. Shield at Camp Custer in Michigan. This image required 30,000 officers and men. The soldiers dressed in different colored uniforms or stood in specific patterns to represent the stars and stripes of the shield. Managing 30,000 individuals on a single field required extreme discipline. Each man had to stay in his assigned spot until the shutter of the 11 x 14-inch view camera was closed.
Symbols of the Armed Forces
Different branches of the military participated in these living emblems to showcase their identity. At Camp Gordon in Atlanta, 12,500 people formed a Human American Eagle. This group included officers, enlisted men, and nurses. The inclusion of nurses highlighted the diverse roles of staff during the war effort. At the Marine Barracks on Parris Island, 100 officers and 9,000 enlisted men formed the Living Emblem of the United States Marines. This design featured the globe, anchor, and eagle that represent the Marine Corps.
In 1918, soldiers of the 164th Depot Brigade at Camp Funston in Kansas formed a service flag. This flag represented the thousands of men who were deployed overseas. Another unit, the 27th Division, created a living insignia titled “New York’s Own.” This image featured 10,000 men who were known as the breakers of the Hindenburg Line. These specific portraits were used as recruitment tools and posters to show the strength of the U.S. Army divisions.
Presidential and National Portraits
Mole and Thomas also created living portraits of famous figures. At Camp Sherman in Ohio, 21,000 officers and men stood in a formation that recreated the signature of President Woodrow Wilson. The image was titled “Sincerely yours, Woodrow Wilson.” The letters were scaled so they would appear uniform in the final photograph. The tail of the “y” and the loops of the “W” required thousands of men stretched across hundreds of yards of the camp parade ground.
At Camp Lee in Virginia, 19,000 men formed the Living Uncle Sam. The men wore different combinations of hats and coats to create the details of Uncle Sam’s beard, hat, and bow tie. Like the Statue of Liberty, the top of the hat was much larger on the ground than the feet to ensure the camera captured a balanced image. Even after the war ended, the duo continued their work. In 1919, they traveled to Grenzhausen, Germany, to photograph the 1st Field Artillery Brigade of the 1st Division. These photographs were sent home to families to show the unity of the troops stationed abroad.
