Sergeant, Seaforth Highlanders, 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 sergeant wears a black feather bonnet with a white plume above the regimental insignia on one side. His scarlet doublet has double inverness flaps at the front and rear which hang down below a white leather belt, and are decorated with buttons and braiding. The cuffs, collars and seams of the doublet are piped white. Regimental insignia can also be seen on his collars, sporran cantle, belt clasp and plaid brooch. The collar badges are a pair, consisting of the cypher of the Duke of York over the Seaforth's motto, together with the elephant for the Battle of Assaye in 1803 (2nd Maratha War).

He wears a tartan kilt with his fly plaid cast over his shoulder. The sporran has white and black horse hair and he wears white gloves and holds a swagger stick. He wears four medals on his left breast indicating previous service in campaigns. They appear to be: Afghanistan Medal (1871-1880); Egypt Medal (1882); India General Service Medal (1854-1895) and the Khedive's Star (1882).

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