There is nothing like looking at vintage photographs to remind us of where we came from and our history. In 1918, Chicago photographers Arthur S. Mole and John D. Thomas gathered 18,000 U.S. soldiers to create the image of Lady Liberty above. Patriotism was running high with the nation entering World War in 1917. Apparently Mole and Thomas had intended to use the image to boost the sale of War Bonds. It wasn’t the only iconic image they shot using members of the military as they traveled across the country to several military bases using soldiers stationed there.

They shot the photos from specially constructed platforms. In the case of the Statue of Liberty image, the platform was 80 feet above the ground. You can’t buy this Lady Liberty’s nose, but you might be related to someone who stood in for it in this photo. I wonder if America’s last World War I veteran Frank Buckles ever took part in these photos.

To see more images taken by Mole and Thomas and for information on how they organized and created the photos, visit Behind the Photo.

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