Sergeant, 5th Dragoon Guards, 1895 (c)

Glass negative produced by W Gregory and Company, London, and F G O Stuart, 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.

This sergeant wears the full dress helmet of the 5th Dragoon Guards. This was made of brass had a horse hair plume. The plume was of regimental colour (white over red) and was attached to the helmet by a spike with a four-pointed star. A large helmet plate covered the front of the head dress. This was a white metal star with the regimental number in the centre, within a garter bearing the title of the regiment. On a front band above the peak was a laurel leaf pattern. At either side of this was a rosette to which the chin chain was attached.

The guard order full dress tunic is scarlet, with collar and cuffs of velvet facing colour (dark green). The tunic was piped down the front in the same material and colour as the collar and was fastened with eight regimental buttons. The rank chevrons are visible on his arm. There was an Austrian knot on each cuff. The shoulder straps are dark green and carried the regimental designation. The collar, Austrian knot and shoulder straps were edged in ¼ inch yellow lace.

A white leather pouch belt is worn over the tunic, and a white leather sword belt at the waist. Dark blue overalls with a broad stripe of yellow down the outside seam are worn tucked into black wellington boots, with box spurs attached. He wears white leather gauntlets and is equipped with an 1885 pattern sword.

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