My grandfather gave me a bunch of his things before he died and these photos were among them. I am searching for the time period and possibly the military unit that is represented in picture a. And the elegance of the black male in photo b with the gold ring and tie clip that were hand painted on is fascinating. Any information would be appreciated. I have a ton more of his things that I'm arranging a display for and knowing more about them is great. Thanks.
The "military uniform" appears to me to be a Knights Templar uniform of the Free and Accepted Masons. This would make it a fraternal uniform rather than a military one.