Sergeant and Pipers, Seaforth Highlanders, 1895 (c)

Glass negative, William 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 two pipers are pictured wearing glengarry caps with black feathers and regimental insignia on the side. Their dark green doublets have distinctive piped shoulder shells. The double inverness flaps hang down below a large leather belt with a regimental buckle. The cuffs, collars and seams of the doublet, as well as the inverness flaps, are piped white. Their kilts are regimental tartan, with a fly plaid cast over their shoulders and fastened with a plaid brooch. The sporran is of white and black horse hair. They hold their bagpipes. Their dirks hang from their belts and each have a skean dhu tucked into their hose tops.

The sergeant on the left is wearing a white wool drill jacket and tartan trews, and has a swagger stick tucked under his arm. He has a white leather belt and a sash worn across his chest. His three chevrons of rank can be seen alongside the crossed swords skill at arms badge for swordsmanship. He wears a dark blue glengarry cap with red and white diced band and regimental cap badge, and white gloves.

One of a collection of 280 glass negatives, associated with William Gregory and Company, London, and Francis Godolphin Osborne Stuart (1843-1923), 1892 (c)-1900.