edinburghcastle

Wow, I have tassel envy.

Wow, I didn't even know there was photography before the 1860s. Thank you for uploading this precious photo. A suggestion: maybe you could add the tag "music" to any photos that have music or musicians, to aid in searching. (I've just added one.)

This is really awesome. I had a friend who was part of a Gordon Highlanders reenactment society. It was so much fun to watch them "do their thing" at the Highland games we went to in California (USA).

You'll note that the facing colour, ie the particular regimental colour worn on collar and cuffs, was yellow for the 92nd. However, due to the nature of black/white photography at that time, yellow used to show up as a dark hue. You get the same effect in American Civil War photos of Union cavalrymen wearing their yellow-trimmed dark-blue shell jackets.

These are exactly the types of uniform worn by the 42nd Black Watch, 79th Cameron Highlanders and 93rd Sutherland Highlanders when they fought in the Crimean War against Russia in 1854-55. Imagine surviving a Russian winter (even Southern region) in thin, tight uniforms like that. The 92nd joined the Highland Brigade in the Crimea in late 1855 and I think they wore the newly-introduced eminently more practical skirted Highalnd double breasted tunics (doublets). As to the 92nd's impressive sporrans, all kilted Highland regiments wore multi-tasselled sporrans in the 1840's. The 42nd Black Watch had 5 black bell-tassels on white horsehair, the 78th Seaforths had 6 black bell-tassels on white horsehair, the 79th had 5 white bell tassels on grey horsehair, the 92nd had 5 white bell-tassels on brown horsehair and the 93rd had six white bell tassels on black horsehair. Just before the Crimean War of 1854, the 79th Camerons adopted 2 long white tails on grey horsehair. In 1881, the new county regiments adopted dress based on the old numbered Highland regiments. The Black Watch continued with the old 5 tassel 42nd sporran, the Seaforths adopted 2 long black tails on white horsehair, the Gordons also adopted 2 long black tails on white horsehair, the Queen's Own Cmerons kept with their 2 long white tails on grey horsehair, whilst the Argyll & Sutherland Hlrds kept the old 93rd's sporran of six white bell tassels on black horsehair. Up to the amalgmations of 2006, when the old regiments were defunct and the new Royal Regt of Scotland adopted 2 black tails on white horsehair for all battalions, the Black Watch had kept their traditional 1840's style 5 tail sporrans and the Argylls their "Swinging Six" sporrans.

Sorry to sound flippant, but the soldier in the middle looks like the 007 character "Jaws" ! :) Interestingly, the sergeant on the right, with the chevrons, wears a coatee without the white tape decoration on the front. Instead, his coatee is double-breasted and plain fronted. Also note the length of his kilt - finishing just above the knee, the the tops of his hose, which are part-way up his shin. Also, they don't wear white spats in this photo, as it was a less-dressy item. Als note the crossbelts on the middle soldier. Around 1852, the British Army started wearing the newer design with one crossbelt for the ammo cartouche and percussion caps and a waistbelt for the expense pouch and bayonet.

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Vintage Background People, and we'd love to have this added to the group!

This brought such a smile to my face! I'd love to see it beside a shot from exactly the same spot now.

Wow. Presumably that's Calton Gaol in the foreground? Closest modern shot I could find through a cursory Flickr search is this.

This photograph has been discussed in the Flickr Commons group in Edinburgh: Then & Now This is the shot that gave me the inspiration to do the project : )

Very well done mate - thanks for taking the time and effort.

Hi, this photo was used in a Then and Now project about Edinburgh in the Flickr Commons group, and we'd love to have this added to the group!