Surgeon, Medical Staff Corps, 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 surgeon wears undress uniform comprising a peaked pillbox forage cap with gold lace bands around the cap and on the peak. The blue undress frock was designed as a looser fitting and more simply finished garment than the tunic, and was used for everyday wear. The two stars on his shoulder straps indicate that he is a surgeon with over 6 years' full pay service, ranking him as a captain. He also wears a gold lace sash with two crimson stripes.

The blue cloth trousers have a scarlet stripe down the outside seams, and are worn over black boots. His sword is attached to his sword belt (worn underneath the frock), and he wears a pair of leather gloves.

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