Unfortunately, many old photographs have lost their context and identity.
I saved this 'unknown' image, probably from an ebay listing, years ago. It was billed as: "Spanish American War soldiers".

Looking at it today, the subjects appear to be youthful teenage students, likely in a Military School Gymnasium.

Coincidently, The Michigan Military Academy (at Orchard Lake) had two Gatling Guns and a course of instruction in "Gatling Gun". (Edgar Rice Burroughs taught the Subject for a couple of terms, upon graduation from M.M.A.).

The M.M.A. students would attend and supply the Artillery and Gatling Gun component at annual Michigan State Troop maneuvers in the 1870's to 1890's.

I imagine this photograph records a similar Military School group.

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Funny thing about Gattling guns, I followed a link to one for sale a few years ago. They wanted close to 1/2 million for it, had some polished brass parts. One line of the advertisement said something like this "It will be the center of attention no matter what room you put it in".

Yeah, right there could be a space shuttle in the room and it would still be the center of attention!

A ‘bump in the night’ gun?

The Dude with the sword may be the Adult in the room.