Sergeant, 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 sergeant is pictured in mounted review order. This includes the Lancer cap, the design of which was based on the Polish four-cornered cap known as the czapka. It has a black leather skull and black patent leather peak with a band of gold lace around it. The upper part of the cap is made with ribbed cloth of regimental colour (white) on four sides, and is topped with leather. The drooping plume is made of horse hair of regimental colour (white), with a yellow and blue woollen boss where the plume attaches. The brass regimental plate is fixed on the lower part of the cap, with lion's head bosses on each side, to which the chin chains are attached.

The full dress tunic is dark blue with white facings: collar and pointed cuffs, piping around the edge of the tunic, and the plastron on the front. Yellow worsted shoulder cords are secured by two small regimental buttons. Yellow worsted cord cap lines hang around the neck, and a gold girdle is worn around the waist with two crimson stripes. Three chevrons on his right sleeve denotes his rank, and can be seen on top of the regimental skull and cross bones. He has a white leather pouch belt and pouch. Blue pantaloons with a double white stripe down the outside seam are worn tucked into black riding boots with spurs attached.

The sergeant carries his lance (without its pennon) and his carbine can be seen in a leather bucket attached to his side. His horse has a black lambskin saddlecloth. 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.