Officer, Royal Horse Artillery, 1895 (c)

Glass negative, W Gregory and Company, 51 Strand, London, 1895 (c).

This image comes from a collection of glass plate negatives associated with William Gregory and Company. The negatives depict the British Army, including some members of the colonial forces, 'at home' in Britain during the 1890s.

As well as being intimate portraits of soldiers from this era, the images provide detailed illustrations of uniforms worn during the high point of military tailoring.

The officer, a Lieutenant, is pictured in full dress uniform. This comprises the full dress cap made of black sable fur and inspired by Hungarian Hussar uniforms. A red cloth bag covers the top of the cap and extends down its right side, with a tall white plume made of ostrich feathers. The cap was held on with a chin chain of black leather and gold cord caplines loop round onto the breast.

The highly decorative Hussar-style full dress tunic is dark blue with red facing and gold lace on the collar. It is edged around the bottom and collar with gold cord, and Austrian knots on the cuffs denote his rank. The tunic has eighteen buttons, with the same number of double gold cord braids across the front with a loop at each end. The shoulder cords are plaited gold chain, with one silver pip to show he is a Lieutenant. A silver bullion grenade badge is worn on the collar.

The Lieutenant wears dark blue pantaloons with a broad gold stripe down the outside seam, worn tucked into black riding boots with spurs attached. His pouch belt and sword belt with slings are made from gold regimental lace. The pouch and sabretache are both richly decorated in gold lace and gilt and feature the Royal Arms and a field gun. He wears a pair of white gloves and his 1874 pattern sword hangs from his sword belt slings.

His horse has standard leather military tack with a shabraque and black lambskin saddle cover. The shabraque is blue with gold lace and scarlet piping around the edge. It has Queen Victoria's monogram and a brass field gun on it.

One of a collection of 280 glass negatives, associated with W Gregory and Company, London, and F G O Stuart, 1892 (c)-1900.