ARTHUR MOLE (1889-1983) & JOHN THOMAS (B. 1947)
Ten works, 1918-1919
eight gelatin silver prints, one mounted and one printed later, two halftone newsprints
each titled, eight with photographer's copyright credit in the image (recto); one stamped Library of Congress reproduction in ink (verso)
image sizes range from 13 x 10 in. (33 x 25.4 cm.) to 19¹⁄₂ x 14⁵⁄₈ in. (49.5 x 37.1 cm.)
sheet sizes range from: 14 x 11 in. (35.5 x 27.9 cm.) to 21¹⁄₄ x 14³⁄₄ in. (53.9 x 37.4 cm.)
Photographers Arthur Mole and John Thomas were hired by the U.S. Military to create patriotic images. Mole first began using this technique in a religious context, photographing church members, but turned his attention towards the military with the outbreak of WWI. The photographers would arrange thousands of soldiers to create patterns and patriotic images. The resulting images were called, ‘Living Photographs’.