The so‑called Great War is often romanticized as a noble quest for liberty, but these 10 striking pictures pull back the curtain to reveal the grim bloodshed, sorrow, and true magnitude of the conflict for those who lived it.

10 Striking Pictures Overview

Each photograph below offers a window into a different facet of the First World War, from engineering marvels and medical ingenuity to the stark human cost that lingers in the landscape and memory.

10 Bomb Crater In West Flanders

This vivid colour snap was captured amid the Battle of Messines in early June 1917, a week‑long clash in West Flanders, France. Over 25,000 soldiers were confirmed dead and another 10,000 listed as missing. The gigantic pit dominating the frame was forged on the opening day when the British Second Army detonated 19 mines in a single, 19‑second burst, immediately followed by a ferocious artillery barrage.

The explosion was the largest planned blast of its era, yet it created perilous ground even for the British troops. Overcrowding on the ridge’s edge caused roughly 7,000 British casualties. Today, many of the Messines craters survive on French farms, some repurposed as ornamental pools, a lingering reminder of the war’s seismic force.

9 Prosthetic Faces

The unsettling wall behind this picture belonged to Anna Coleman Ladd, a Boston native who turned a London hospital department into the famed “Tin Noses Shop.” During the war, an estimated 21 million men were wounded, many bearing severe facial injuries that conventional surgery could not fully repair.

To help these soldiers conceal disfiguring scars, Ladd’s studio in Paris crafted over 220 handcrafted copper masks by 1918. The masks were painted to match each patient’s skin tone, offering a seamless disguise for those whose faces bore the horrors of combat.

Ladd infused the shop with cheer: ivy‑covered gardens, statues, flower‑filled rooms, and flags fluttering on the walls. Visitors were treated to chocolate, wine, and dominoes, creating a surprisingly uplifting environment that set a new standard for post‑war care.

8 Lieutenant Norman Eric Wallace

Canadian observer Lieutenant Norman Eric Wallace enlisted in 1915 and was whisked to Europe almost immediately. Two years later his aircraft crashed, leaving him with horrific facial burns and severe scarring.

Surgeons employed groundbreaking techniques: skin grafts from his buttocks repaired the worst burns, while pedicle tubes lifted tissue from his shoulder to cover his cheeks and upper lip. A prosthetic mask also helped restore his appearance during the long recovery.

Wallace’s personal story is poignant—he married in 1920, only to lose his wife to cancer days before their first anniversary. He rose to the rank of major, spent his later years in the Welsh village of Llangammach Wells, and passed away in 1974 from lung cancer.

7 View Of Verdun After Seven Months Of Bombing

The Battle of Verdun raged for nearly eleven months near the Meuse River, leaving the once‑thriving town a shattered wasteland. The photo captures the devastation wrought by relentless attrition warfare, a strategy designed to bleed the enemy dry by exhausting resources and lives alike.

More than a million soldiers perished in Verdun, and the image starkly illustrates the civilian toll. Verdun held historic importance for France, having been a bustling trade hub and the site of many prior battles. German Chief of Staff Falkenhayn deliberately aimed to “bleed France white,” turning the city into a gruesome killing ground rather than a strategic objective.

6 Used Artillery Shells

The scale of fighting in the Great War was unprecedented. On Verdun’s first day alone, German forces unleashed 1,200 artillery pieces, firing 2.5 million shells and moving 1,300 ammunition trains. Daily shipments weighed up to 25,000 tons, and after 300 days the artillery units were so depleted they resorted to flamethrowers.

The photograph shows a towering pile of spent shells from a single day, underscoring the massive casualties the war caused. Tactics like the “creeping barrage,” pioneered by Sir Henry Horne at the Somme in 1916, advanced artillery fire inch‑by‑inch ahead of infantry, but a mistimed barrage could tragically strike one’s own troops.

5 British Supply Sledge Pulled By Reindeer In Russia

In 1914 Russia fought alongside Britain, but by 1917 it withdrew from the conflict. This image shows a British soldier hauling a supply sled across snowy Russian terrain, the sled drawn by reindeer—a stark reminder that despite rapid technological advances, World War I still relied on antiquated methods.

The British also clung to horseback cavalry well into the war, a tactic that proved disastrous against machine‑guns and artillery. The last British cavalry charge occurred at the Somme in 1916. The combination of barbed wire, deep mud, and relentless artillery rendered animal‑powered logistics and charges largely obsolete until tanks arrived later that year.

4 The Crucifix

Sixteen‑year‑old Walter Kleinfeldt captured this haunting scene with a Contessa camera during the Battle of the Somme. The photograph, discovered decades later by his son, juxtaposes a lifeless German soldier against an untouched crucifix, creating a stark visual indictment of war.

In a BBC documentary, Kleinfeldt’s son describes the image as “an accusation against war.” Kleinfeldt’s broader collection includes scenes of bodies scattered over no‑man’s‑land, a medic comforting a dying soldier, and everyday moments like soldiers bathing in rivers.

3 French Colonial Troops

Albert Kahn, a wealthy banker‑photographer, documented cultures worldwide for his monumental work, The Archives of the Planet. Inevitably, his lens captured the First World War, including this vivid colour portrait of French Colonial Cavalry from the Fourth Spahi Regiment, likely hailing from Morocco.

In 1914 France fielded seven Spahi regiments, all of which fought on the Western Front. Their traditional cavalry role waned as trench warfare took hold, yet colonial troops formed a critical component of the French army due to France’s relatively small native population.

By war’s outbreak, European powers had colonized most of the globe. India supplied 1.5 million soldiers, while New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, and Australia contributed millions more. France drew heavily on West African, Indochinese, and Madagascan forces, turning the conflict into a truly global struggle.

2 Australian Soldier Carries Comrade

This moving photograph shows an Australian infantryman bearing a wounded comrade down Suvla Bay, desperately seeking medical aid. The Gallipoli campaign marked one of Australia’s earliest and bloodiest engagements, now commemorated each year on ANZAC Day, April 25.

The objective was to seize Constantinople from the Ottoman Empire, a goal that ultimately failed. Roughly half a million men perished during the campaign, and the Australian forces suffered about 27,000 casualties—two‑thirds of the three divisions sent there.

Prime Minister William Hughes famously declared that the fledgling nation “was born on the shores of Gallipoli.” Though Australian troops later endured heavier losses on the Western Front, the Gallipoli narrative remains a cornerstone of national identity.

1 Pyramid Of German Helmets

In 1918 New York City displayed two towering “victory” structures near Grand Central Station, each built from 12,000 German steel helmets. The pyramids symbolized the defeat of the enemy, each helmet representing a captured or fallen German soldier.

These installations, paired with seized artillery, served as eye‑catching war‑bond advertisements. Supposedly, those who purchased bonds could win a helmet, though today the pyramids’ whereabouts remain a mystery.

Collecting battlefield souvenirs was common in the early 20th century, despite official bans. The sight of 24,000 helmets stacked together can feel eerie; imagine a young Australian boy’s shock when his father returned from Gallipoli bearing a mummified Turkish head.

In the chronicles of American labor, there are 10 tragic times when the U.S. government massacred striking workers, shaping the rights we enjoy today. Throughout U.S. history, the working class has fought for better wages and safer conditions, and many of those battles erupted into bloodshed. Remembering the men and women who fell is essential to honoring the weekend, the eight‑hour workday, the end of child labor, and modern job safety.

10 Tragic Times of Government Violence

10 The Great Railroad Strike

On July 14, 1877, railway employees in Martinsburg, Virginia, walked off the job to protest a third wage cut within a single year. Their stoppage halted rail traffic, and the unrest quickly spread to Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Missouri, marking the nation’s first truly national strike.

Within six days, the first casualties occurred when Maryland National Guard troops confronted strikers in Baltimore, opening fire and killing 11 men while wounding 40. Shortly thereafter, Pennsylvania’s Guard unleashed violence in Pittsburgh, killing 40 workers, and federal troops in St. Louis dispatched as many as 18 lethal shots against demonstrators.

The bloodshed multiplied: Pennsylvania saw as many as 44 fatalities, Chicago recorded 30 deaths, and New York reported eight. By the time the turmoil subsided, more than 100 laborers had perished at the hands of police, state guards, and federal soldiers.

In the wake of this sweeping carnage, both labor activists and state authorities interpreted the events as a prelude to a larger struggle. State governments bolstered their National Guard units, while unions intensified recruitment and organizing drives. It would be nearly a century before the violent clash between labor and government finally eased.

9 Bay View Massacre

On May 1, 1886, a sweeping movement involving over 200,000 workers ignited across the country, demanding a federally enforced eight‑hour workday. In Milwaukee, the protest swelled to 12,000 participants.

By May 3, strikers had effectively shut down every factory in the city except the North Chicago Railroad Rolling Mills Steel Foundry in Bay View. A contingent of 1,500 demonstrators marched toward the mill, urging its workers to join the strike.

Local business owners, alarmed by the disruption, pressed Governor Jeremiah Rusk to deploy the National Guard. After three days of hesitation, Rusk dispatched 250 Guardsmen to the mill on the morning of May 4.

That day, tensions rose as strikers hurled rocks and shouted insults at the troops. The Guardsmen responded by firing warning shots above the crowd’s heads. By nightfall, the governor ordered Captain Treaumer to fire on any worker attempting to enter the plant. On May 5, as the crowd approached the line of soldiers, Treaumer gave the order to open fire, killing 15 individuals—including a retired bystander and a 13‑year‑old boy who had eagerly joined the protest. The massacre shattered the strike, delaying the widespread adoption of the eight‑hour day for many years.

8 Morewood Massacre

On February 2, 1891, over 10,000 coke‑oven operators and miners in Morewood, Pennsylvania, halted production, demanding better wages and an eight‑hour day under the United Mine Workers banner.

Negotiations with industrialist Henry Clay Frick continued through February and into March. By March 26, talks seemed close to a wage agreement, but the settlement ultimately fell apart.

On March 30, more than 1,000 strikers damaged company property, torching coke ovens and sabotaging railway lines. Pennsylvania Governor Robert E. Pattison responded by sending in the National Guard.

When workers tried to resume their protest on April 2, the Guard opened fire on the unarmed crowd, killing seven men. Frick then hired 100 strikebreakers to harass the remaining strikers. By May, the strike collapsed, and the bruised workers returned to the coke fields. Three years later, a letter published in the Pittsburgh Times revealed the grim sentiment of the laborers, who felt forced to choose between starvation and dangerous work.

7 Pullman Strike

On May 11, 1894, the newly formed American Railway Union launched a strike against the Pullman Company in Chicago, demanding union recognition, fair wages, and reasonable hours. The action sparked a nationwide railroad shutdown, affecting 27 states.

At its peak, more than 250,000 workers had walked off the job, crippling rail traffic and pressuring both local and federal authorities to intervene.

President Grover Cleveland responded by deploying thousands of U.S. Marshals and 12,000 Army troops across the western and mid‑western states, including Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado, Oklahoma, California, and Illinois.

The federal and state forces responded variably: some regions avoided direct clashes, while in Chicago, troops opened fire on strikers, killing over a dozen. In total, more than 30 workers were shot dead, with many more wounded during the conflict.

6 Lattimer Massacre

In August 1897, the Lehigh and Wilkes‑Barre Coal Company laid off workers at the Lattimer mine near Hazleton, Pennsylvania, while simultaneously imposing wage cuts, higher rents on company housing, and longer, more hazardous shifts.

The harsh conditions spurred a strike involving primarily Polish, Slovak, Lithuanian, and German immigrants. By September, roughly 10,000 miners were on strike, initially securing higher wages before the company reneged on its promises.

Frustrated owners called upon Sheriff James L. Martin to break the strike. On September 10, Martin organized a posse of 300‑400 unarmed strikers heading to support fellow miners. When the posse’s demands to disperse were ignored, a deputy shouted, “Shoot the sons of bitches,” and the group opened fire on the peaceful crowd.

Nineteen men were killed, many shot in the back. Unlike earlier labor clashes, the Lattimer victims were unarmed civilians, underscoring the brutality of the suppression. A monument at the site records the atrocity, emphasizing that the victims were not combatants but innocent workers.

5 Chicago Teamsters’ Strike

In April 1905, employees of the Montgomery Ward department store in Chicago walked out over the owner’s use of non‑union subcontractors. The dispute quickly escalated when the Teamsters Union entered the fray in solidarity.

The Teamsters boasted a massive Chicago membership—about 30,000 of the union’s 45,000 total members—allowing the strike to spread across major employers throughout the city.

In retaliation, the Employers’ Association of Chicago raised millions of dollars (adjusted for inflation) to hire a large contingent of strikebreakers, granting them special legal protections that permitted aggressive, often violent, tactics.

Clashes between union workers and strikebreakers resulted in over 20 deaths among striking laborers, while none of the hired enforcers were killed. More than 400 workers sustained injuries before the strike finally ended in August.

4 Cabin Creek Strike

On April 18, 1912, West Virginia miners at Cabin Creek, under the United Mine Workers, initiated a strike demanding union recognition, higher wages, and safer conditions. Shortly after, miners at nearby Paint Creek joined the movement.

Mine owners responded by hiring the notorious Baldwin–Felts Detective Agency, a private paramilitary outfit that terrorized strikers for months, sabotaging food supplies, beating workers, and even firing weapons from a distance.

By September, thousands of miners from surrounding counties converged on the strike, but the owners, frustrated by revenue losses, pressured local law enforcement to intensify violent repression.

In February 1913, Sheriff Bonner Hill and his detectives escalated the crackdown by deploying an armored, weaponized train that bombarded the strikers’ camp with high‑powered rifles and machine‑gun fire, targeting leaders’ homes. The relentless assault demoralized the workers, yet resistance persisted until July 1913, when the strike was finally broken after more than 50 deaths and countless injuries, compounded by starvation and disease within the camp.

3 Ludlow Massacre

In September 1913, roughly 12,000 coal miners in Ludlow, Colorado, went on strike to protest low wages and hazardous working conditions. Colorado was the deadliest state for miners, with a fatality rate about twice the national average.

The United Mine Workers organized the strike, demanding union recognition, which would have reduced workplace deaths by about 40 %.

The Colorado Fuel and Iron Company, owner of the mines, began evicting striking families from company towns, forcing them into a tent colony they had prepared for such an eventuality.

The mine owners enlisted the Baldwin‑Felts Detective Agency, a private gang of armed thugs, to harass the camp. Over months, the detectives illuminated tents with floodlights, randomly firing at workers, and occasionally killing or maiming them.

In October 1913, Governor Elias M. Ammons sent the National Guard to the area, hoping for peace. Instead, the Guard fraternized with the strikebreakers, blurring the line between law and violence.

After six months of stalemate, the owners pushed for a decisive blow. On April 20, 1914, machine‑gun fire ripped through the tent colony, killing 13 instantly. The union leader, lured out under the pretense of negotiations, was executed by National Guard troops. That evening, militiamen and detectives set fire to the camp, leaving the bodies of two women and eleven children burned among the ruins.

The massacre ignited national outrage, prompting hundreds of armed miners to march on the region, sparking the Colorado Coalfield Wars. Although the violent phase ended by early May, the strike lingered until December, concluding in defeat for the workers after nearly 200 deaths.

2 The Battle Of Blair Mountain

In May 1920, the Baldwin‑Felts Detective Agency entered Logan County, West Virginia, at the behest of coal‑mine owners to prevent miners from forming a union. Their mission began with the eviction of families suspected of union activity.

As the detectives swept through Matewan, local leader Police Chief Sid Hatfield and the mayor rallied armed miners, leading to a gunfight that left two miners, the mayor, and seven detectives dead. Hatfield emerged as a folk hero for the labor movement.

The conflict intensified over the next 15 months. Miners sabotaged equipment and struck, while owners continued evictions and hired replacement workers. The murder of Hatfield by relatives of slain detectives sparked a massive mobilization: up to 13,000 miners marched to Logan and Mingo counties, aiming to drive out the hired gunmen and secure unionization across southern West Virginia.

Logan County Sheriff Don Chafin, backed by mine owners, amassed a private militia and entrenched on Blair Mountain, a natural barrier blocking the march.

Skirmishes erupted on August 20, 1921. After a brief cease‑fire, Chafin ordered the murder of several union sympathizers, reigniting the siege. He even employed pilots to drop surplus World War I munitions—bombs and gas—on the striking workers.

President Warren Harding ordered federal troops to intervene, and General Billy Mitchell dispatched aircraft for reconnaissance. The troops arrived on September 2, prompting strike leaders to dissolve the march to avoid a bloodbath. Approximately 100 strikers lost their lives during the conflict.

1 Memorial Day Massacre

On May 26, 1937, steelworkers in Cleveland went on strike after smaller steel firms refused to follow US Steel’s lead in recognizing unions, instituting an eight‑hour day, and raising wages. The strike sparked a wave of action by both the Steel Workers Organizing Committee (SWOC) and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) across the nation.

On May 30, the Memorial Day holiday, about 1,500 striking steelworkers and supporters assembled at the SWOC headquarters in Chicago, preparing to march toward the non‑union Republic Steel mill.

At the mill’s gates, the unarmed crowd—comprising men, women, and children—met 250 armed Chicago police officers, hired and paid for by Republic Steel. Without any provocation, the police opened fire, discharging more than 100 rounds into the crowd, killing 10 people and wounding over 100, many of whom were hit in the back.

No officer faced indictment for the massacre. While the broader Cleveland strike eventually waned, the Chicago incident drew national attention to the steelworkers’ plight. Five years later, the workers secured union recognition and achieved many of their demands.

The top 10 striking photographs from the Covid‑19 era pull back the curtain on a world turned upside‑down. While most of us were cooped up inside, iconic places went silent, hospitals overflowed, and even the most mundane shelves emptied. Below, each image tells a vivid story of how the virus reshaped daily life across continents, from holy sites left barren to brave front‑liners bearing the brunt of the fight.

1 The Great Mosque And Kaaba In Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Photo credit: ABDEL GHANI BASHIR/AFP via Getty Images

Even if you’re not a follower of Islam, the Great Mosque and the Kaaba in Mecca are instantly recognizable. This sacred complex hosts the annual Hajj pilgrimage, drawing up to five million believers during the Dhu al‑Hijjah period. In a normal year, the compound teems with worshippers, but a photograph taken on March 5th, 2020 shows the courtyard eerily deserted.

The emptiness resulted from a government‑mandated deep‑clean and sanitisation effort aimed at curbing the spread of Covid‑19. The site reopened the following day, yet visitor numbers remained dramatically reduced because Saudi Arabia had barred foreign travelers on February 27th. The image captures a rare moment when a bustling spiritual hub was forced into quiet solitude.

2 Beirut’s Corniche Promenade In Lebanon

Photo credit: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters

The Corniche promenade in Beirut is famed for its palm‑lined seafront, bustling cafés, and the constant flow of joggers, walkers, and street performers. Normally a magnet for locals and tourists alike, the stretch turned into a ghostly tableau throughout March and April 2020.

Mohamed Azakir’s snapshot captures the promenade completely void of human activity—no vendors, no cyclists, no families strolling by the waves. The silence was a direct result of a government‑imposed curfew that kept residents locked inside their homes. This stark visual is one of many worldwide that illustrate how lockdowns turned once‑vibrant public spaces into empty stages.

3 Social Distancing In Colombo, Sri Lanka

Photo credit: Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters

When the pandemic hit, the phrase “social distancing” entered everyday vocabularies worldwide. In Sri Lanka, this concept was vividly displayed outside a grocery store in Colombo, where shoppers lined up wearing masks and maintaining roughly one‑meter gaps.

Dinuka Liyanawatte’s photograph shows the tension between public health directives and the pressing need for supplies. While the World Health Organization recommended a two‑meter distance, the cramped reality forced many to settle for less. Sri Lanka had imposed a curfew earlier, briefly relaxing it as case numbers fell, allowing this scene of cautious commerce to unfold.

4 Mobile Morgues In Refrigerated Trucks Holding Bodies In New York City

Photo credit: John Minchillo/AP

One of the most sobering visual reminders of Covid‑19’s toll is the sight of refrigerated trucks repurposed as temporary morgues. John Minchillo captured this grim tableau outside a Brooklyn hospital, where bodies were being loaded onto chilled transport units.

New York City’s hospitals were quickly overwhelmed, not only by patients needing intensive care but also by the sheer number of fatalities. By early April, daily death counts surpassed 4,000, and the city resorted to these mobile solutions to manage the overflow. The image underscores the stark reality that the pandemic strained not just medical capacity but also the very infrastructure for handling the deceased.

5 Quarantined Italians Singing Together From Their Balconies

Photo credit: Mairo Cinquetti/NurPhoto/Getty Images

After Wuhan’s strict lockdown, Italy quickly became the pandemic’s European epicenter. As cities entered quarantine, citizens turned to their balconies to create impromptu musical flash mobs, aiming to lift spirits amid the isolation.

On March 13th, thousands of Italians sang the national anthem “Inno di Mameli” from their terraces, a collective act of resilience. Mairo Cinquetti’s photograph captures a woman belting out the anthem, her voice echoing across silent streets. The image reflects a nation’s determination to stay united, even when separated by distance.

6 19

Photo credit: Dr. Li Wenliang

Dr. Li Wenliang, the Wuhan physician who first warned about the novel virus, became an emblem of both courage and tragedy. After contracting Covid‑19, he took a poignant selfie from his hospital bed just days before his death on February 7th, 2020.

His image spread across the internet, symbolising the sacrifices of frontline workers. The Chinese Communist Party later issued a formal apology for having censored his early warnings, but the damage was already done as the virus crossed borders. Li’s final photograph serves as a stark reminder of the human cost borne by those who risk everything to protect public health.

7 Russian Cargo Plane Filled With Supplies Lands In The USA

As the United States grappled with dwindling personal‑protective equipment and ventilator shortages, international aid became a lifeline. Russia responded by loading a cargo aircraft with masks, ventilators, and other essential medical gear, then flying the supplies across the Atlantic.

The aircraft’s arrival was captured in a widely circulated photograph, underscoring a rare moment of cooperation amid geopolitical tension. The gesture followed a direct conversation between President Putin and U.S. officials, who promised reciprocal assistance should the tables turn. This image highlights the global interdependence that Covid‑19 forced upon nations.

8 Homeless In Las Vegas Sleeping In Social Distancing Grids

Photo credit: John Locher/AP

The pandemic’s stay‑at‑home orders left a vulnerable segment of the population—homeless individuals—without clear guidance. In Las Vegas, city officials painted a grid of squares across the upper level of the Cashman Center’s parking lot, designating each box as a solitary sleeping spot.

While well‑intentioned, the spacing proved insufficient for true social distancing, prompting criticism online. The image of rows of makeshift beds, each confined to a tiny square, illustrates the complex challenges cities faced in protecting those without homes while trying to curb viral spread.

9 19 Patients For Days

Photo credit: Rachel Adams McCreight/Nicola Sgarbi

When the pandemic surged, N95 respirators became the most coveted piece of equipment for frontline staff. The masks, designed to form a tight seal, often caused bruising and discomfort after hours of continuous wear.

Images shared across social media showed healthcare professionals with swollen eyes, sore cheeks, and weary expressions after grueling 12‑ to 24‑hour shifts. These portraits not only reveal the physical toll of protective gear but also the relentless dedication of doctors and nurses battling Covid‑19 under relentless pressure.

10 USNS Comfort And The Statue Of Liberty

Hospital capacity in the United States rapidly reached its limits as Covid‑19 patients flooded emergency rooms. To alleviate the strain, the U.S. Navy dispatched two hospital ships—USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy—to New York City and Los Angeles, respectively.

The photograph of the USNS Comfort gliding past the Statue of Liberty became a symbol of hope, illustrating a nation’s determination to provide additional beds and care. Although originally intended for non‑Covid patients, the vessel eventually admitted those afflicted by the virus, reinforcing the extraordinary measures taken during the crisis.

11 Toilet Paper

For reasons still debated, the early weeks of the pandemic sparked a massive run on toilet paper. Shelves in supermarkets worldwide emptied as consumers hoarded rolls, echoing the panic‑buying seen during historic oil shortages.

This snapshot, taken by the author at a local Walmart, shows rows of barren shelves where rolls once rested. While the shortage highlighted supply‑chain fragility, it also spurred a surge in bidet sales as households sought alternatives. The image stands as a quirky yet telling reminder of how everyday commodities became symbols of uncertainty.

Top 10 Striking Images Overview

The collection above illustrates how the pandemic reshaped everything from sacred rituals to grocery aisles. Each picture, while distinct, shares a common thread: the profound, visual imprint Covid‑19 left on our global landscape.