Soldiers of the Queen | Victorian military photographs

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A Virtual Museum of Victorian-Era British Military Photographs & Associated Research

Gunner, Royal Artillery

Bury, England

c. 1903

A Most Despised Cap

This military cyclist was photographed sometime after 1902 and the introduction of the much-disliked Brodrick Cap. Supposedly inspired by the German Feldmützen cap.

It was named for then Secretary of State for War Sir William St John Brodrick. Brodrick would later claim that he had absolutely nothing to do with the introduction of cap, even suggesting that the real culprit behind the cap's adoption was none other than the then Prince of Wales and future Edward VII. One tale goes as far as to partially blame the Brodrick Cap for the suicide of a despondent soldier who feared that the cap emphasized his Anglo=Boer War incurred scars.

The Broderick was never universally issued and was withdrawn from issue by 1905. Interestingly, it remained as a standard issue cap with the Royal Marines until sometime in the late 1920s. It was replaced by the ever popular peaked Staff pattern cap

This cyclist appears to be a gunner in the Royal Artillery, possibly a volunteer battery.

What's in a Name?

Uploaded to this website many years ago, this photograph depicts a young officer in Ottoman or Anglo-Egyptian service. The photograph's card mount bears an old pencil notation identifying the man as "George Merhige, Khartoum, Sudan, the brother of Monsur.". A further notation references "Eng. Pharmacy" and "two years in studying".

Research provided little additional information but did point to the man possibly being of Levantine origin and probably Christian. The photograph's status remained as such until recently after reopening the investigation into this officer's identity. As is so often the case the breakthrough such as it was came from an unexpected source, in this case an early 1900s example of a Kodak film wallet.

A film wallet was the paper folder in which a customer received his developed negatives and corresponding photographic prints back from the developing /printing studio. This wallet in this case was imprinted with the particulars of one George Morhig, propitiator of the English General Stores of Khartoum, Sudan. The stores are mentioned asl also serving as pharmacy's and photographic studios. Although circumstantial, the photograph's notation and the wallet's printed advertisement

seemed to indicate that Merhidge and Morhig were the same man. Things were pretty much confirmed by a photo postcard

Lieutenant George Naaman Morhig

Anglo-Egyptian Medical Corps

Khartoum, Sudan

c. 1900

Four Men from Edinburgh

Seemingly dating from the early Edwardian era, this cabinet photograph is a rather unusual item. Technically and stylistically it is a typical example of early 20th Century studio photography, What sets it apart is the image's military subject matter.

The photograph records the likenesses of four men. Seated in front are two British men The man on the right is a veteran sergeant of the Royal Scots who wears the Egypt Medal with a single clasp and the bronze Khedive's Star. The man on the left wears civilian clothes with the only noteworthy detail of his attire is what appears to be a Masonic fob on his watch chain.

The two standing gentlemen make the image interesting. Both men appear to be NCOs in the West African Frontier Force. The man on the left wears three gold chevrons point up surmounted by a king's crown on hs lower right cuff and a marksmanship badge on his lower left cuff. The man at right wear three gold sergeant's chevrons on his upper right sleeve. Both men wear a number of campaign medals which seem to include the East and West Africa Medal and the 1902 Africa General Service Medal.

The curious aspect of this image is what was the circumstance that bought these four men together in Edinburgh, Scotland in theearly 1900s? That is the subject of continuing research.