A Remington drawing of a Mexican Engineer

One of a number of fantastic illustrations of Mexican Army soldiers in the late 19th century

https://i.servimg.com/u/f42/12/22/09/10/mex310.jpg
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I have always admired the uniforms worn by the Mexican Army in the era immediately before the 1910 - 20 Mexican Revolution - it seems that Diaz had a taste for fancy uniforms (then again, what dictator dosent!).

Perhaps the most striking uniforms under the Diaz regime were those of the Guardia Rural (Rurales or mounted gendarmerie). They had an unpleasant reputation for shooting prisoners "while attempting to escape" but in their time they were as well known internationally as the Canadian Mounties are now. One reason was that Diaz dressed them in grey versions of the national chaqueta costume with wide sombreros and (at least for officers) much silver braid.

Ah yes the Rurales.

Below is a bandsman from that Corps, or as close as I can get it.
Very colourful and interesting.

https://i.servimg.com/u/f42/12/22/09/10/rurale10.gif
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Splendid Sean - but how do you produce these pictures almost instantly?

The Rurale bandsman seems accurate down to and including the red four-in-hand. The wife of an American diplomat sighting her first rurales (ironically in the final months of the Diaz regime) described them as "the world's most picturesque policemen", while wondering if the red ties made them good targets for Zapata's rebels.

I have quite a store of illustrations on many and bizarre topics.
Its nice to show them off!