Corporal, 7th Dragoon Guards (Princess Royal's), 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 in this image wears mounted review order dress. The full dress tunic is scarlet, with collar and cuffs of velvet facing colour (black). The tunic was piped down the front in the same material and colour as the collar and was fastened with eight regimental buttons. There was an Austrian knot on each cuff. The shoulder straps are black edged with yellow and carried the regimental designation. The collar, Austrian knot and shoulder straps were edged in ¼ inch yellow lace.

The corporal carries the Dragoon Guards full dress helmet. This was made of brass and had a horse hair plume. The plume was of regimental colour (black over white) and was attached to the helmet by a spike with a four-pointed base. 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 corporal holds the 1885 pattern sword, and wears the corresponding pattern white leather pouch belt and sword belt. He has two visible medals - the Egypt medal and the Khedive's Star from when he served on campaign in the 1880s.

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