Troop Sergeant Major, 6th Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers), 1893 (c)

Glass negative, W Gregory and Company, 51 Strand, London, 1893 (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 troop sergeant major wears dismounted review order, with the Dragoon Guards full dress helmet. This was made of brass and had a horse hair plume. The plume was of regimental colour (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 full dress tunic is blue, with collar and cuffs of cloth facing colour (white). 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 yellow cord with no regimental designation. The collar, Austrian knot and shoulder straps were edged in ¼ inch yellow lace.

Dark blue overalls with a double stripe of white down the outside seam are worn over black boots, with spurs attached. He wears white leather gauntlets and holds an 1885 pattern sword, whilst wearing the corresponding pattern white pouch belt and sword belt.

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