The Yukon Field Force was formed to support the civil power in maintaining law and order during the Klondike Gold Rush (March 1898). Composed of 203 officers and men, cavalry, artillery and infantry, the unit included three officers plus 130 non-commissioned officers and men from the Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry. Based at Fort Selkirk, the unit had 72 men in Dawson City, capital-city of the newly formed Territory (June 1898).
These two Christmas cards are clearly depicting the detachment from Dawson City. They seem to represent the officers, on the first card, and the NCOs with their troops, on the second card, even if it is to judge by the larger crowd shown in the latter or the more comfortable-looking residence in the background of the former.
The photo-cards were manufactured by Larss & Duclos, a partnership between Per Edward Larss and Joseph E.N. Duclos who began their enterprise of taking photographs around Dawson City, in summer 1898.