Trumpeters, Royal Horse Artillery, 1893 (c)

Glass negative, W Gregory and Company, 51 Strand, London, 1893 (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 trumpeters are pictured wearing undress uniform. The high-cut stable jacket is dark blue with cuffs and collar of red facing colour and yellow trim. The trade badge on their right arm indicate their status as trumpeters and the chevron on their lower left sleeve denotes 2 years good conduct.

Dark blue overalls with a broad red stripe down the outside seam are worn over black wellington boots. They wear blue pillbox forage caps which have a yellow band around them, and their swords are attached to the slings of their white leather sword belts. They hold a bugle and a trumpet each, which have red and yellow cords and tassels attached.

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