A group of army soldiers stand at attention with guns during a parade on Congress Street in Portland. It is likely that the photo was taken during the Preparedness Day Parade on March 18th, 1917, less than a month before America declared its involvement in World War I. The parade was organized to boost war morale, and collected soldiers from the military forts in the Greater Portland and Casco Bay Area.

The men are pictured outside Belmont Lunch at 593 Congress Street.