27th Foot Officers Shako, Royal Artillery and infantry Shakos

[mooke07]

Hi all,

Another photograph from the Dublin museum in 1929. Infantry or Militia shako 1800-11 (L), 27th Foot Officers shako 1811-15 (C) and Royal Artillery privates shako circa 1850s (R), cheers Dean.

[Neibelungen]

Purely on a historical note, the first two are technically caps in all contemporary documents. Only the RA 1850's is a shako.

It's not till 1816, with the introduction of the 'regency' pattern with it's lacquered leather top that it becomes referred to as a 'shako'.

The first one (the so called 'stovepipe'- a later term), is probably post 1803/4 when it lost the lacquered, tar like, finish to the body (often a very thin leather over card or pasteboard and mistaken as being made from solid leather) and became simply blocked felt.
They were issued yearly, with the plate and cockade expected to last 2 years, so generally were not particularly robust or carefully made for O/R's.

[mooke07]

Appreciate your knowledgable input here thanks, cheers Dean.