Gordon Highlanders: a group of officers in various orders of dress, probably circa 1890

The full plate photograph measures 11 x 8½ ins and is pasted to part of an old card album leaf. It is rather faded to sepia tones but is interesting for the different detail of uniforms worn by the eighteen officers. Most are wearing their swords with the alternative straight cross hilt which most Scottish regiments only adopted in the 1880s. It was unpopular and is not often seen in portraits where the traditional basket hilt was the popular choice. The hilts are interchangeable with ease. Even more unusually one officer in the seated row carries the special half basket pattern of hilt designed for field officers.          oct8/4