Updated on May 1: This has been sold.
This is in like-new condition, an amazing original photograph of the famous "living" flag made up of 10,000 sailors spread out over more than seven acres. In pristine condition. Includes the label on the back.
Here's an appraisal of one on Antiques Roadshow in 2016, and even though ours is in much better condition, we've priced it a little below the low end of the estimate in that program. (Ignore the historical background provided and read the information below--it's 10,000 men, not one thousand, for example.)
Photographed by artist, Arthur Mole. Taken at U.S. Naval Training Station, Great Lakes, Illinois in 1917.
The text on the label on the back (also shown in the photograph):
THIS IS A GENUINE PHOTOGRAPH
- The Official "Living Flag Picture" of 10,000 Sailors
- Flag Covered 7 1/2 acres of ground.
- Top of Flag 4 times length of bottom as laid out, to give proper perspective when photographed
- Stars in top left hand corner 65 feet across, contains 126 men.
- Stars in lower left hand corner 8 feet across, contains 12 men.
- Took an Engineer and 4 assistants 4 weeke to lay out ground
- Staff and Ball 800 feet long
- 250 men in Ball
- 9650 men in Flag.
- 1600 men in White Stripes.
- 1900 men in Red Stripes.
- 1800 men in Stars.
- 3400 men in Star's Field
SOLD UNDER LICENSE
STATE COUNCIL OF DEFENSE OF ILLINOIS
No. 957.
Photo sold by discharged Soldiers and Sailors. Royalty on each sale to Naval Athletic Fund.
THE GREAT LAKES NAVAL TRAINING STATION.
Additional Copies mailed prepaid on receipt of price $1.00.
Address Mayhart Co. Distributors. 17 North Grawford Ave., Chicago, III.
Image size: 10.5" x 14"
Mounted: 13" x 17"
Shipping: $25. Please allow two weeks for shipping.
About the artist
Arthur Samuel Mole was a British-born, naturalized American commercial photographer. He became famous for a series of "living photographs" made during World War I, in which tens of thousands of soldiers, reservists and other members of the military were arranged to form massive compositions. Although if viewed from the ground or from directly above, these masses of men would appear meaningless, when seen from the top of an 80-foot viewing tower, they clearly appeared to be various patriotic shapes (via anamorphosis). The key was to photograph the people from the one place where the lines of perspective would resolve themselves into intelligible images. His partner in this endeavor was John D. Thomas.
Source: Wikipedia
Additional historical background
Arthur Mole’s Living Photos
Arthur S. Mole and John D. Thomas patriotic photographs and the work of others
Patriot frames: the power of Arthur Mole's military 'living photographs'
