Troop Sergeant Major, 8th (King's Royal Irish) 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 troop sergeant major is pictured wearing stable dress uniform. This comprises a blue stable jacket with gold lace piping around the collar, front and bottom edging, plus decorative gold loops, especially seen on the cuffs. The gold lace chevrons and crown on his upper right arm denote his rank, with the Irish harp in the middle being the insignia of his regiment. He has a service ribbon on his left breast.

He wears a blue pillbox cap with a gold lace band around it and a gold lace design with button on top. His dark blue overalls have a double yellow stripe down the outside seam, worn over black wellington boots with spurs attached. He has a white leather pouch belt, white gloves, and his 1885 pattern sword hangs from the slings of a white leather sword belt. A leather sabretache also hangs from his sword belt.

One of a collection of 278 glass negatives, associated with W. Gregory and Company, London, and F G O Stuart, 1895 (c)-1900.