University Illinois Urbana Field Band Inspection Day Real Photo Postcard

Inspection Day '13 captures a military inspection or drill event likely held in 1913. These events were common for military units, militia groups, or cadets enrolled in military training programs at educational institutions, such as precursors to modern ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps). The uniformed personnel performing synchronized drills, accompanied by a band and observed by spectators, underscore the early 20th-century emphasis on discipline and readiness in the years leading up to World War I.