2nd Life Guards, 1893 (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.

The soldiers are pictured wearing dismounted guard order. This comprises the Albert Pattern full dress helmet that was adopted by the Household Cavalry in 1842. The decoration was 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 horse hair plume is white, apart from the bandsman on the far left, whose plume is red.

The tunics are scarlet with dark blue facings, and gold lace on the collar. The two Corporals of Horse (third from the left and far right) have plaited gold shoulder cords with an aiguillette attached, and loops which have gold cord hanging down to the middle of the tunic. The bandsman's tunic is edged in narrow gold lace and his blue collar is 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 wear dark blue overalls with wellington boots.

All of the soldiers wear white leather gauntlets and white pouch belts with a blue flask cord along the centre. They carry Martini-Henry Carbines, apart from the bandsman who holds his trumpet.

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