Corporal of Horse, 1st Life Guards, 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 corporal of horse is pictured wearing mounted review order dress. This comprises the Albert Pattern full dress helmet that was adopted by the Household Cavalry in 1842. The helmet has a brass body and was richly decorated with a laurel and oak leaf spray, and a garter star with a cross in the centre. Above this was a large gilt Victoria crown. The horse hair plume is white.

The tunic is scarlet with dark blue facings, and gold lace on the collar. Over the top of the tunic, he wears a cuirass which consisted of a front and back polished steel plate shaped to fit the body. He has white leather buckskin breeches and black jack boots. As a corporal of horse, he has plaited gold shoulder cords and an aiguillette on the left shoulder which loops down and has gold 'needles' hanging from it. He has the skill-at-arms badge for musketry on his left arm (crossed muskets) and possibly one for signalling underneath (obscured).

White leather gauntlets are worn, and a white pouch belt with a red flask cord along the centre. Attached is a highly polished black leather pouch, with gilt fittings and backed with Morocco leather. He holds his rifle in his right hand and his 1882 pattern sword in his left.

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