You know they were posing for a photograph, right? That is not a candid photo.
They still look lean and mean.
Did you ever see Ken Burn's series on the Civil War? Historian and author Shelby Foote said that was a photo he was very fond of. The Confederates posed for that photo when captured, and in it they demonstrated their defiance and pride.
Before the “watch the birdie” technique started, it was in vogue for everyone to stare off in random directions, as if they were caught unawares. The fact that these were often groups of people (family reunions, for example) meant that it looks pretty retarded today.