An officer of the 85th (Bucks Volunteers) or King's Light Infantry Regiment, 1848 (c)

Miniature in watercolour on ivory, artist unknown, 1881 (c).

Many miniatures are oval, framed in gold and fitted with suspension loops so that they could be worn or carried. They usually displayed the portrait of a loved one. They were often commissioned as gifts for parents or wives when an officer was sent to serve abroad, sometimes for many years without leave to return home.