Mole & Thomas Important Human Liberty Bell Original Gelatin Silver Photo 1918

Description: The Human Liberty Bell Original gelatin silver print. See photos for condition. Framed in University of Texas Co-op $1.99 frame. Photo is stuck to paper frame sheet. I will leave that to you to remove. Museum story: The Human Liberty Bell Date: 1918 Artist: Mole & Thomas Arthur S. Mole (American, born England, 1889–1983) and John D. Thomas (American, died 1947) ABOUT THIS ARTWORK During World War I, commercial photographer Arthur Mole partnered with John Thomas to make a series of “living photographs,” arranging thousands of soldiers into designs that created optical illusions of patriotic themes such as the American flag, a profile of Woodrow Wilson, and the Statue of Liberty. Completing these massive spectacles required a week or more of preparation. Mole and Thomas spent hours positioning the troops and constructed an enormous tower from which to photograph the arrangement. The “top” of these creations could be as far as a quarter mile from the camera, and the final composition only made sense from the camera’s pseudo-aerial point of view. To make The Human Liberty Bell, the photographers employed 25,000 military personnel at Camp Dix, New Jersey, a training ground for the 78th Division of the National Army. The composition made each posing soldier into a piece of the patriotic message. Status Currently Off View Department Photography and Media Artist Mole & Thomas Title The Human Liberty Bell Place United States (Artist's nationality:) Date Made 1918 Medium Gelatin silver print Dimensions Image: 34 × 26.4 cm (13 7/16 × 10 7/16 in.); Paper: 35.7 × 27.8 cm (14 1/16 × 11 in.) Credit Line Photographic Society Fund Reference Number 2008.204 Ships to continental USA and eBay global destinations best way. Antiques road show seemed to think this photo was worth $8,000. See YouTube video; insurance value. I take those opinions with a grain of salt although I have found it at auction for $8-10k. I cannot find another original (Liberty bell), currently for sale, that is not part of library of congress or museum collection. Owner of this photo framed it in a frame that she got from the UT co-op in Austin in the 1970’s. It seemed to be hung in her bathroom til I cleared the estate 50 years later. She was an amateur photographer and I assume that this was passed to her as an inheritance or family heirloom. She put it in the frame with the retail paper turned over in the frame as a backer. Since it was in the bathroom, I assume that the moisture over time caused it to stick to some parts of the photo. Fortunately, not to the glass. Definitely could be tapped free. But I’m not going to do that. It needs to be professionally managed. I removed and cleaned the glass and dusted the frame and reassembled. It is a real find. I cannot see if it is stamped on the back. (I tried) I don’t want to risk bending it and breaking the photo. I will leave that to you. Please see photos for detail, and ask questions before buying. I am not a professional or dealer. I clean out houses for families and clear estates. My mom was an antique dealer, so I was “in the business” from age nine. Thanks for reading all the way to here!

Price: 3495 USD

Location: Austin, Texas

End Time: 2025-01-25T17:09:42.000Z

Shipping Cost: 19.95 USD