Officer, 17th (Duke of Cambridge's Own) Lancers, 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 officer is pictured in dismounted review order dress. The tunic is dark blue with a white front (plastron), with collar and cuffs of regimental colour (white) edged with gold lace. A gold girdle is worn around the waist with two crimson stripes. Gold cord thread cap lines are attached to a gold pouch belt that has a white stripe along the centre. Blue pantaloons with a double white stripe down the outside seam are worn tucked into black riding boots with spurs attached. He wears a medal.

The officer is wearing the full dress Lancer cap which has 14 inch long drooping white swan feathers in its plume. The design of the cap was based on the Polish four-cornered cap known as the czapka. It has a black leather skull and black patent leather peak. The upper part of the cap is made with ribbed cloth of regimental colour (white) on four sides, and is topped with leather. The plume is attached to the cap with a gilt spring socket, and the gilt and silver regimental plate is fixed on the lower part of the cap to which the chin chains is attached.

The officer carries a sword, which is attached to his uniform by a white leather sword belt, and he wears white leather gauntlets.

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