Pre WW1 Photo

[nlee]

Can anyone help me with dating this photo and possibly what uniform. Pun Lun,Singapore studio operated from 1860's to 1880's. I know this is for mainly WW1 but I beleive one of these chaps ended up a Chelsea Pensioner.

Thanks

[Graham Stewart]

Nichola,

I'm going to stick my neck out here and say that we could possibly be looking at a pair of Fusiliers here. The one seated is a drummer looking at the badge on his upper left arm and he also appears to be wearing a marksman badge on his lower left cuff.

They're both wearing collar badges but we'd nead a close up of those for easier recognition and also the two helmets placed upon the floor. The reason for me asking that request is that they could be both Northumberland Fusiliers, as it appears as though they have a coloured cloth fold at the top of the pagree which would make it NF. However it could also be the way they're resting the helmet chain, but I'm not a 100% certain due to the grubbieness of the photo.

Try gently rubbing it over with a slightly damp cloth to remove the dirt and I do mean genlty rubbing and not a soaking wet cloth. There again if you feel uncomfortable doing it, then don't.

[nlee]

Hi Graham

Thanks for your thoughts. The picture is a right mess,I tried a gentle clean but it's not improved very much. I got my eye glass out and had a close look at the helmets. It looks like cloth and not chain. The badges on the collars look like S on it's side.

Anymore thoughts now?

[squirrel]

Not that much to add; infantry certainly with the spike on the hemet and both have Good Conduct badges lower left sleeve. That does look like a Drummer's badge on the right sleeve of the chap on the left.

[wainfleet]

I would agree with Graham on the tentative Northumberland Fusiliers ID. That looks very like a coloured fold, esp on the rh helmet. The chain would either be down or hooked up to one side, and would be difficult to mistake for the coloured fold. The only other unit I know of that wore a similar coloured fold was the West Yorks (green - the NF's was red) and this is not their collar badge.

I would have put this in the 1890s, probably the latter end. Unless you know for sure that this studio ceased trading before then.

Regards,

W.

[nlee]

Hi All

A big thanks for your help. It always amazes me how knowledegable you all are. As for the date I found out that Pun Lun studio ran from 1860's to 1880's. So I will take it that this photo is one of their last.

Some info for anyone interested. The Chelsea Pensioners have a Guide On Tracing Chelsea Ancestors. Their website www.chelsea-pensioners.org.uk

[John Cubin]

Nichola. Try scanning the original and turning it into grayscale/black&white. Play about with Contrast and you should get a pic on which the experts have more chance of identifying details. Good luck.

John.