Non Commissioned Officers, 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 five non-commissioned officers seem to all be sergeants. The soldier on the right is possibly the most senior, as he has extra gold braiding around his collar and cuffs. They all wear either a kilt or trews made of regimental tartan, and either a scarlet doublet with yellow facings, or a white wool drill jacket. Four of the soldiers are wearing a dark blue glengarry with red and white diced band and regimental insignia.

The soldier on the right is in full dress and wears the black feather bonnet with white plume and regimental insignia on one side. He also holds his claymore basket hilted sword. Sporrans are made of white horse hair with two black tassels. Two of them are holding swagger sticks, and the sergeant in the middle wears four medals on his left breast which include the Egypt Medal (1882) and the Khedive's Star (1882).

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.