Coldstream Guards Officer on Ebay
 

No connection to the seller but thought this a worthy Ebay listing to share as I have never seen what appears to be Coldstream Collar Stars of this type worn on this type of Officers jacket at this time. The buttons also appear to be Coldstream pattern and the Photographers address would obviously fit in nicely.

Not sure how to just save the image instead of the listing for future reference to avoid it disappearing.

Interested to see if anyone has seen this combination before.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224418144...53.m1438.l2649

Regards Simon.

Nice that Simon. I save images like this sometimes.
Andy

Are these not simply collars and buttons that were worn upon Home Service Full Dress at the point in time the image was taken?

Yes Frank you're probably right. But photo's/evidence that the Guards wore collar badges with the exception of Home Service Clothing are rare IMHO.
Andy

Andy,

Agree with you, never seen the use of collar badges like this before, can't imagine the Adjudant would have been too happy. A classic example of photographic evidence showing the difference between what you would expect to see and what was, infact worn.

Simon.

I think the questions I would ask would be who is this particular gentleman and when was the portrait taken?

There are photographs of the Grenadier Guards wearing the small shoulder title grenade, as a collar badge. In the Sudan late 1800's.
Andy

I agree and have seen other photos of the composite, camel mounted unit of Foot Guards and Household Cavalry wearing collar badges and regimental buttons as shown during the early Sudan campaign.

There are those who would argue that photo evidence is empirical with regard to what was approved to be worn, but I still tend towards a "photo shop opportunity" when it comes to these type of photos. I can't imagine bullion wire collar badges would be worn with KD as they would be ruined with a couple of washings. Note the civilian small brass four hole buttons as often seen on hunt coat lining pockets, trouser fly etc.

CB

So perhaps a newly commissioned officer, warned for service in South Africa, visits his tailor and then a photographer. Without those collar badges, which indeed are unsuitable for KD, his regiment would not be apparent.

Tim

Badges were retro fitted to be removable from KD to facilitate regular laundering. Hooks and eyes were the most common method but I’ve also seen blades and a circular plate fitted with loops stitched to the back of bullion badges. Survivals are rare as bullion badges tended to be damaged over time and replaced with new. I don’t think that it would enter the mind of a Foot Guards officer to play dress up in anything that wasn’t regulation for the purposes of a photo.

Indeed Toby, my original reason for posting the attachment was the rarity of the image showing these collars in wear.

Regards, Simon.

Yes Simon, I agree that photos of Guards officers in that dress are quite rare. In part I think that’s because the Guards frequently formed composite units so that not all officers were deployed. I have definitely seen a few others in the same dress though. The enclosed photo of some reenactors who have carefully researched their uniform shows the 1884-85 Sudan dress with the famous grey Norfolk style field jacket fitted with the same collar badge. The black and white photo and KD jackets in colour show 3rd Grenadiers in the Sudan for the final campaign 1898 and they can be seen wearing the gilt metal grenade collar badges favoured by that regiment.

I like that Toby, good photo.
Andy

Over a hundred and forty quid, someone clearly wanted it.