Senior Non-Commissioned Officer, 7th Middlesex (London Scottish) Volunteer Rifle 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 London Scottish Volunteer Rifles were founded in 1859 as part of the Volunteer Force, which was raised in response to the threat of French invasion. The new unit was sponsored by the Highland Society of London and the Caledonian Society of London. Initially it was under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Lord Elcho, who decided to clothe the soldiers not in tartan but in the solid 'hodden' (hidden) grey, a cloth common throughout Scotland. Originally, the hodden was a light grey, but over time shades of brown and purple were introduced.

'Hodden' cloth was used for hunting as well as cheap work clothes and military uniform. Because of its cheapness and availability, 'hodden' grey tunics were originally used by the Scottish Lowland Royal Regiments of Infantry before about 1690.

One of a collection of 278 glass negatives, Gregory and Company, London, 1895 (c)-1900.