'6th Bengal Infantry', 1897

Lantern slide, No 5 from the series 'Types of the Indian Army', taken by Frederick Bremner, 1897.

1897 saw the 6th Bengal Native (Light) Infantry become the 6th Jat Bengal (Light) Infantry as part of the reform of the Indian Army. The unit participated in the 2nd Afghan War (1878-1880) and the 3rd China War, or Boxer Rebellion (1900-1901). The infantrymen's Mark IV Martini Henry Rifles are 'piled' on the left. Piling arms was a standard way of storing arms in camp, enabling them to be quickly accessed.

Bremner (1863-1941), born in Scotland, worked for his brother-in-law G W Lawrie's photographic company in Lucknow, India from 1883 to 1891. Bremner established his own studios in Quetta and Rawalpindi. By 1905 he was operating in Quetta and Lahore, and in 1911 he also had a studio in the hill station at Simla.