"A Changing of the Guard 1815-1822" (1 Viewer)

[PolarBear]

One of the great things about Britains Classic Redcoats & Bluecoats is the chance to see the evolution of military uniforms over the decades. For that we owe a debt of thanks to Ken & Ericka Osen. Ken is a detail-oriented historian of uniforms consulting textual and visual documentation, including actual uniforms of each period where available. Ericka is a fashion historian and museum curator very much concerned with the evolution of style. A bonus of the Classic series is to have representative figures of a particular regiment from more than one period. Below are 2 examples from the Coldstream Guards of the early decades of the 19th Century. The first dates from 1815 and represents the Napoleonic era. The second is from 1822, the post Napoleonic period when British uniforms became more flamboyant and less practical. Here we can witness the 'changing of the guard" in terms of British uniforms. Randy 2/22/08

Figures:
#43010 Pvt. 2nd Coldstream Guards 1815
#43024 Pvt. 2nd Coldstream Guards 1822

 

[Molloy]

The rapid evolution of the uniform in only seven years is astonishing, isn't it?

I have to say, on a personal level, I think I prefer the simpler, more practical appearence of the Peninsular era tunic and stovepipe shako. While the Belgic shako, and the later bell-topped style design shown on the 1822 figure below are both quite "pretty" and visually appealing, there's something very workmanlike and pragmatic which attracts me to the stovepipe headgear worn in Spain and Portugal. Plus, if nothing else, it was that type which was featured most prominently on extras in the Sharpe films, so I suppose it really is true what they say about first impressions counting!

Regards,

Molloy.

 

[PolarBear]

The rapid evolution of the uniform in only seven years is astonishing, isn't it?

I have to say, on a personal level, I think I prefer the simpler, more practical appearence of the Peninsular era tunic and stovepipe shako. While the Belgic shako, and the later bell-topped style design shown on the 1822 figure below are both quite "pretty" and visually appealing, there's something very workmanlike and pragmatic which attracts me to the stovepipe headgear worn in Spain and Portugal. Plus, if nothing else, it was that type which was featured most prominently on extras in the Sharpe films, so I suppose it really is true what they say about first impressions counting!

Regards,

Molloy.

I totally agree with you. The 1815 uniform definitely has cleaner lines. There is something overdone in 1822 and perhaps a bit "decadent".

Randy

 

[Molloy]

I totally agree with you. The 1815 uniform definitely has cleaner lines. There is something overdone in 1822 and perhaps a bit "decadent".

Randy

Exactly, Randy - while I'm sure the 1822 looked simply lovely on ceremonial duty in the centre of London, for example, it's a struggle to imagine the fancy tunic and shako standing up to the piled rubble of the breaches at Badajoz, or the mud of Waterloo.

Regards,

Molloy.