Private and Drummer, Scots Guards, 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 private on the left is pictured wearing a scarlet single breasted tunic. The buttons of the tunic, grouped in threes, identify the regiment as the Scots Guards. The cuffs are round with a three buttoned slash. The collar, cuffs, and shoulder straps are piped white. On each side of his collar is the regimental thistle badge. His blue cloth trousers have a scarlet stripe down the outside seams, and are worn over black boots. The private is wearing a bearskin cap and white belt.

The drummer is pictured wearing a blue pillbox forage cap with a red and white diced band around it. The scarlet jacket has band wings on the shoulders, and is elaborately laced with white and blue braid on the sleeves and across the chest. The blue decorations on the braids are fleur-de-lys, a design feature that recalls Britain's ancient claim to France. The blue cloth trousers have scarlet stripes down the outside seams, and are worn over black boots. He wears a white belt and holds a swagger stick under his arm.

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