5th Lancers at Drill, Glass Negative, 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.

The group of 5th Irish Lancer soldiers at drill are pictured wearing stable dress. This comprises a blue stable jacket with collar and cuffs of facing colour (red). They have blue pillbox forage caps with yellow bands and cross-braids. For the two senior non-commissioned officers, who have their backs to the camera, you can see the gold lace edging around the collar, cuffs and forage caps.

The men are all wearing dark blue overalls with a double stripe of facing colour (yellow) down the outside seam, over wellington boots with spurs attached. They have white leather pouch belts and black pouches, and are wearing gloves. Their lances have the scarlet over white swallow-tailed pennons on the top. These are held in their right hand, with rifles in their left hand.

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