Sepoy and Naik, 20th Madras Infantry, 1897 (c).

Glass negative, William Gregory and Company, 51 Strand, London, 1897 (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.

Small contingents of soldiers representing Colonial Forces came to the United Kingdom for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 1897, as well as participating in various Royal Tournaments during this period.

The soldier on the left is a sepoy, equivalent in rank to a british private soldier, with the soldier on the right holding the rank of naik, equivalent to a corporal. They stand in front of a ship, and wear turbans of regimental pattern wound round kullas - small, close-fitting pointed caps. The shoulder titles of their khaki kurtas show their regimental affiliation: '20 Madras'.

The soldier on the left of the image has a crossed rifles badge with crown indicating he was qualified marksman. Both soldiers wear khaki breeches are tucked into puttees - long pieces of cloth that are wound round the lower legs to protect the wearer's legs.

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.