Snapshots of another time and place...

 It has been fascinating to delve into another time and place, in my case later nineteen century America. Reading through records and looking at old photos asks as many questions for me as it offers answers. Two things particularly stood out for me this week. Firstly a photo of New York National Guardsmen in their uniforms posing for the camera. I wondered about their lives, families and military service ( if anyone can recommend further reading about the place of the National Guard in society at the time let me know) etc. The second was a clip from a San Francisco city directory  showing the different groups meeting together, often according to their origins, to train together as independent military companies. Enjoy the photos below