Chatham 1871. A group portrait of Cavalry and infantry regiments.

The 9½ x 7½ ins group photograph shows 16 officers from a variety of regiments, probably on a course at the School of Military Engineering at Chatham. Very interestingly this photograph has the embossed mark of Photo School Chatham lower right and it just possible the officers were on a photography course. Military photography was still in its infancy: I believe the first campaign to have RE photographers accompanying it was that in Abyssinia in 1867-68. One would need to study details such as lace patterns to identify the cavalry units but infantry regiments represented include 6th Royal Warwickshire, 25th King’s Own Borderers, Suffolk Regt, 103rd Royal Bombay Fusiliers.   oct13/3