A Picture is Worth A Thousand People

Last week my friend forwarded me a picture taken in 1918 of 18,000 men (who were training in Iowa to go off to the first world war) positioned logistically to form a gigantic Statue of Liberty. Knowing how easily digital photos can be manipulated in today's digital age, I wasn't about to post it unless it was legit. (Click on the photograph to see a large version of it.)



According to Snopes.com, not only did it turn out to be authentic, but it turns out there's plenty more where these "people pictures" came from. I followed a link to the Carl Hammer Gallery. These are just absolutely amazing! Two photographers named Arthur Mole and John Thomas came up with the concept - perhaps the first time in history the idea of making a large portrait out of people was orchestrated. Here are some selected pictures; there's more on the Carl Hammer site by following the link above. Click on each of them to see a large version.

The Living Uncle Sam



The Human American Eagle



Living Portrait of Woodrow Wilson



All photographs courtesy of the Carl Hammer Gallery. By the way, the Statue of Liberty portrait was done on a day when the temperature reached 105 degrees - many men passed out from the heat.