Trooper, 19th (Princess of Wales' Own) Hussars, 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 trooper in this image wears full dress uniform, with the Egyptian War Medal and the Khedive's Star on his left breast. This was awarded for service when the regiment served in Egypt and the Sudan in 1882 and 1885. The tunic is made of blue cloth and is highly decorated with yellow worsted looping cord and brass ball buttons. He has a white leather pouch belt and another cross strap which possibly carries a haversack.

The full dress cap (busby) was inspired by Hungarian uniforms and made of black beaver fur; a type of fur that was highly desirable in Eastern Europe. The caplines, bag lace and front boss are of yellow worsted cord, with the bag itself being white. The trooper is not wearing the horsehair plume on his busby so is possibly on field exercise.

He wears dark blue pantaloons with a double yellow stripe down the outside seam tucked into black riding boots with spurs attached. His sword hangs from the slings of his white leather sword belt. The horse has standard leather military tack including leather wallets, horseshoe case, valise, folded blanket and canteen.

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