2nd Life Guards, 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.

All three soldiers are pictured wearing dismounted review order. This comprises the Albert Pattern full dress helmet that was adopted by the Household Cavalry in 1842. The decoration is of brass or gilding metal, and the helmet plate included a laurel and oak leaf spray. In the centre is a white metal garter star with a brass cross, and a large Victoria crown above. The corporal's horse hair plume is white, whereas the trumpeters' plumes are red.

The tunics are scarlet with dark blue facings and gold lace on the collar. The corporal of horse (far right) has plaited gold shoulder cords with an aiguillette attached, which acts as his badge of rank. His medals include those for Anglo-Egyptian War of 1882 in which the Household Cavalry took part. The corporal has his Household Cavalry pattern sword attached to sword slings.

The trumpeters' tunics are edged in narrow gold lace, and the blue collars are edged above and below with gold lace and a single row of eyes in the centre. Gold lace twisted shoulder cords are worn with trefoil ends.

They all wear blue overalls which have double wide red stripes with a thin stripe in between and wellington boots. They have white pouch belts with a blue flask cord along the centre. The trumpeters wear white leather gauntlets and carry their trumpets.

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