Corporal Rough Rider, 1st (Royal) Dragoons, 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 corporal is wearing a blue undress frock coat. His rank is shown by the two gold lace chevrons on his right arm. The royal crest (lion guarding the crown) above the chevrons marks his regiment as being the 1st (Royal) Dragoons, as does the brass Waterloo eagle collar badge. The spur on his right arm shows that he is either a rough rider or riding instructor. He wears a white leather pouch belt and pouch and shoulder chains.

The corporal's pillbox forage cap is blue with a yellow band and button on top. He wears blue pantaloons with a broad yellow stripe down the outside seam, tucked into black riding boots with spurs attached. He is holding a pair of white gloves as he consults a map. His horse has standard leather military tack, with a pair of leather wallets at the front. His Lee-Metford carbine sits in a leather bucket attached to the saddle.

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