Another Photograph, what are these uniforms?

[Inix]

I posted a picture last week and all of your comments/knowledge is appreciated. This photo was found with the picture I previously posted. I am assuming that this was also taken in Traverse City, Michigan. Does anybody know the reason for the attire being worn by these people in the parade? Any help is appreciated.

 

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[releventchair]

You have a flag leading a group... The flag is a clue.

My guess is that it is a Columbus day parade ,and Italian historic designed costumes .
https://www.providencejournal.com/n...orld-traditions-endure-at-columbus-day-parade

 

[Anduril]

The photo appears to have been taken from the 3rd floor of the Masonic Hall at the intersection of present-day Front & Union Street.
Coords: 44.76398, -85.62361

The timeline would be roughly 1905-1907, just going by quick research on the Dentist's name in the first photo.
Perhaps a bit later. (?)

Note that in Google Earth, there's been a 6-window,3-story add-on to the building shown at left in the photos.
My guess is the extension was built where you see the empty lot in the photo.

Cant' help with the apparel.

Edit: It is a little hard to see, but the # of stars on the flag seems to support the ("no later than 1908") theory.
(45 stars: with the addition of Utah - from 7/4/1886 to 7/3/1908).
When Oklahoma entered, the two middle rows of stars are equal length and number, and doesn't appear to be the case in the photo.
The next earlier "unequal center rows of stars" flag would have been Wyoming (1891-1896) and that's a bit too early for the automobiles seen in the photo.

 

[KeyaPaha]

Looks almost like Roman military

 

[Mackaydon]

I agree with KP; Roman attire.
The local paper of May 7, 1907 shows Doc Wilhelm's office was in the City Opera House Block; Room 1
Don.....

 

[ToastedWheatie]

Maybe something here?
i don't have a subscription.

https://traversecityrecordeagle.newspaperarchive.com/tags/parade?ndt=by&py=1900&pey=1920/

 

[Anduril]

The photo appears to have been taken from the 3rd floor of the Masonic Hall at the intersection of present-day Front & Union Street.
Coords: 44.76398, -85.62361

The timeline would be roughly 1905-1907, just going by quick research on the Dentist's name in the first photo.
Perhaps a bit later. (?)

Note that in Google Earth, there's been a 6-window,3-story add-on to the building shown at left in the photos.
My guess is the extension was built where you see the empty lot in the photo.

Cant' help with the apparel.

Edit: It is a little hard to see, but the # of stars on the flag seems to support the ("no later than 1908") theory.
(45 stars: with the addition of Utah - from 7/4/1886 to 7/3/1908).
When Oklahoma entered, the two middle rows of stars are equal length and number, and doesn't appear to be the case in the photo.
The next earlier "unequal center rows of stars" flag would have been Wyoming (1891-1896) and that's a bit too early for the automobiles seen in the photo.

Update: Plug-n-Play has an interesting observation.

The building hasn't been added on to, it's had part of it demolished.
If you count the windows today left-to-right in Google Earth, in sections, it's 5-5-5-6.

But the photo above shows the last section having only 5 windows (which explains why I thought there was a 6-window section added).
However, another photo (below, by Plug-N-Play, shows that back around the turn of the century, the (then) longer building did indeed have more sections, with the last one ending in 6 windows.

Link: https://i.imgur.com/C0Mw7j1.jpg

So... larger building back then; smaller today. (Either way, not added to... so, my mistake!)

 

[ToastedWheatie]

I'm just wondering what the Sir Knight Archiba parade was they held in 1910 in Traverse

 

[namxat]

Hi,

I am seeing costume romans and also vaguely arabic/middle eastern attire. I assume that this in connection with a passion play and according to below link Traverse City had such a passion at least until 1963:

https://newspaperarchive.com/traverse-city-record-eagle-jan-21-1963-p-8/


P:S: if this was a larger thing on an open filed, this is a spot you want to detect. Believe me

 

[Subterranean]

48 star flag in upper right corner, so in between 1912-1959. The vehicles appear to be late teens, early 20's. The costumes are fanciful Roman (note the "Centurion" at the head of the group with the plumed helmet) and Arab-Palestinian, probably an Easter parade. Sub

 

[Anduril]

48 star flag in upper right corner, so in between 1912-1959. The vehicles appear to be late teens, early 20's. The costumes are fanciful Roman (note the "Centurion" at the head of the group with the plumed helmet) and Arab-Palestinian, probably an Easter parade. Sub

I disagree.
The 48 star flag had the same number of stars in each row. (Namely, 8).
But if you look at the flag in the photo that is hanging over the middle of the street, (to me), it clearly shows row #3 with 8 stars, and row #4 with only 7 stars.

The only flag around that time period that matches that arrangement, and doesn't pre-date the automobile, is the Utah flag, which hung for 12 years (1896 to July 1908).

Now, I'll admit my eyesight isn't what it used to be.
But that's what I see.

 

[DCMatt]

I disagree.
The 48 star flag had the same number of stars in each row. (Namely, 8).
But if you look at the flag in the photo that is hanging over the middle of the street, (to me), it clearly shows row #3 with 8 stars, and row #4 with only 7 stars.

The only flag around that time period that matches that arrangement, and doesn't pre-date the automobile, is the Utah flag, which hung for 12 years (1896 to July 1908).

Now, I'll admit my eyesight isn't what it used to be.
But that's what I see.

I believe it is a pre-July 1908 flag as well.



That said I also believe the photo is from the 1908 July 4th celebrations in Traverse City.

Why? The cars are from that era. This 1908 Buick is not an exact match but gives you the style of the time:



We can see from the photo that it is hot. Most of the crowd stands on the right side of the street to take advantage of the shade.

On the left, some men are in shirt sleeves and women provide their own shade with umbrellas.

There were 2 days of celebration in Traverse City for the holiday that year. July 4, 1908 was a Saturday, so the planning committee proposed celebrations on Friday as well so stores would be open. Business owners along the parade route were asked to "make a regular tunnel of flags" along Front St (if not too expensive).

The parade route was as follows according to the Traverse City Evening Record:

"Beginning at the corner of State and Cass street the line of march will be as follows; East on State street to Boardman avenue, north on Boardman avenue to Front, west on Front to the City opera house where the exercises of the afternoon will occur."

The costumes are coincidental to the parade - you don't march in a parade in your street clothes... Maybe a fraternal or religious organization...

 

[ToastedWheatie]

Great work, DC.
Were you able to access that link I put up regarding the 1910 parade? Sir Knight Archi (ARCHIBALD?).
the excerpt looked like it may have been a separate parade

 

[cw0909]

did a key word search ....july 4 parade....@ link found this img
maybe the OP pic is 05-07? search produced 4738 results.
most img will enlarge
4th of July celebration on Front Street, downtown Traverse City, Michigan, 1908.
https://localhistory.tadl.org/items/show/12350

 

[Plug N Play]

It falls somewhere between these two pictures.
Someone might be able to find the yr. the cable car line was added ?

 

[Plug N Play]

"Beginning at the corner of State and Cass street the line of march will be as follows; East on State street to Boardman avenue, north on Boardman avenue to Front, west on Front to the City opera house where the exercises of the afternoon will occur."

The shadows fall North ... they're going East ? Maybe another parade/year ?

 

[DCMatt]

did a key word search ....july 4 parade....@ link found this img
maybe the OP pic is 05-07? search produced 4738 results.
most img will enlarge
4th of July celebration on Front Street, downtown Traverse City, Michigan, 1908.
https://localhistory.tadl.org/items/show/12350

That's a great shot. It was taken from a block or so west of the original posted photo. You can see the end of the Hannah, Lay, and Company building with the National Bank tower behind it.





No date on the pic above but it is very odd to me that the pic in CW's post seems to show a much smaller building with no empty lot next door.

The pic does seem to prove that the original post pic is not July 4th or not 1908 or neither one.

But I still stand by the observations made that the original pic is 1908 or prior and it was taken during warm weather.

Still researching...

 

[DCMatt]

Here is yet another parade pic from the era and take in about the same location.



46 star flag? (Edit: Yes. This is 1911 according a Michigan history web page.)

 

[Plug N Play]

I'm just wondering what the Sir Knight Archiba parade was they held in 1910 in Traverse

ToastedWheatie, do you have the link for one in 1910 ? I'm seeing this one in May, 1909, but don't think it applies ?

 

[Anduril]

Update: OP Photo is definitely after 1902.
That is when then Peoples Savings opened at 134 East Front Street.
You can barely make out the sign in the photo near the bottom right.