The Artists' Rifles in Camp, 1884

Oil on canvas by Godfrey Merry, 1884.

In August 1884 the 20th (Artists') Volunteer Battalion, The Rifle Brigade (the Prince Consort's Own) held their camp at Aldershot. These summer camps were voluntary and usually not very well attended, while the long Easter weekend camp was much more popular. Here the volunteers are shown preparing for drill. Some are almost ready, equipped with blanket rolls and Snider rifles, while the soldier buying fish still needs to change his fashionable, but non-regulation, two-tone shoes.

The regiment was raised as part of the rifle volunteer movement of 1860 with the full title 38th Middlesex (Artists) Rifle Volunteers, so-named as it was mainly composed of painters, sculptors, engravers, musicians, architects and actors. One of the first officers was Frederick Leighton (later 1st Baron Leighton), who was subsequently both Honorary Colonel of the regiment and President of the Royal Academy of Arts. Other famous volunteers include John Everett Millais, William Morris and Holman Hunt.

In 1880 the regiment was renumbered the 20th Middlesex (Artists') Rifle Volunteers. The following year it became a volunteer battalion of the Rifle Brigade. In 1908 it changed to the 28th (County of London) Battalion, the London Regiment (Artists' Rifles). Following a number of redesignations, in 1950 the unit became 21st Regiment Special Air Service (TA), the territorial unit of the SAS.