A Rarity: Pannotype of a Canadian Colour Sergeant
Depicting a color sergeant from a Canadian militia rifle battalion, this cased Pannotype is an example of one of the rarest forms of 19th Century photographic processes encountered today.
Perhaps the greatest failing of early glass plate photographic images was their inherent fragility. Padded cases similar to this one were developed to offer such glass images a degree of protection. And while cases made for quite beautiful means of presentation for such images, the glass image housed within could still be cracked or shattered if the case was dropped or sharply struck.
Private
Canadian Militia
Hand-Tinted Tintype
c. 1860s
Sergeant
Canadian Militia
1/6th Plate Tintype
c. 1880s
Private
Canadian"Scottish" Militia
1/6th Plate Tintype
c. 1880s
Private
Canadian Militia Fusilier
1/6th Plate Tintype
c. 1880
Captain
Edmund Harrington Molyneux-Seel
King's Liverpool Regiment
Halifax, Nova Scotia
c. 1895
Drum-Major
William Martin
15th Regiment of Foot
New Brunswick, Canada
1868
Lieutenant
Henry Edward Baines
Royal Garrison Artillery
Quebec, Canada
1866
Canadian Militia Officer
in Mess Dress
Quebec, Canada
1890s
Above: Non-commissioned officers of the 10th Royal Regiment of TorontoVolunteers c. 1870. Sergeant James Pembroke Beddoes stands second from left, third row back.
Mounted Photograph
Toronto, Canada.
c. 1870
Serjeant Whatsisname?
Unfortunately, only one member of this group of sergeants of the 10th Royal Regiment of Toronto Volunteers was identified on the back of the image's card stock mount. Sergeant James Pembroke Beddoes stands second from left third row back. I have been able to find out little about Beddoes other than several mentions of him in the Canadian Nominal Rolls and Paylists for the Volunteer Militia between 1869 and 1871.
Beddoes first appears in the Rolls as a private in the 10th Royal Regiment of Toronto Volunteers on 30 June 1869. The following year on 4 June he has been promoted sergeant. In the pay list for 30 June, 1870 Beddoes is listed as a member of the 3rd Company, 10th Royal Regiment.
On 7 December 1870 Beddoes regiment is listed as the 10th Royal Guard of Honor for the opening of Parliament in Ottawa. It's possible the regiment acted in some official capacity during the visit to Canada by Prince Arthur - later the Governor-General of Canada - which took place during 1869-70.
Canadian Militiaman
28th Perthshire Battalion
c. 1880s
Private
Amos Roy Pyne
69th Annapolis Infantry Battalion.
c. 1899
No. 416 Sergeant
William Moriarty
1/25th Regiment of Foot
c.1869
Canadian Militia Private
18th Prescott Battalion of Infantry
c.1867
Gunner
William Franklin "Frank" Eby
Royal Canadian Artillery
c. 1899
Sergeant
Valentine Stewart Hitchcock
50th Regiment
Canadian Garrison Artillery
c. 1900
Private
Hartley B. French
2nd Canadian Mounted Riflemen
c. 1902
Commander
James Alfred Boxer
Royal Navy
c. 1924
Unidentified Soldier
in
Cold Weather Dress
c. 1890s
Law of the North
Unidentified Officer
North West Mounted Police
Carte de Visite
London, Ontario, Canada
c. 1876
Wearing the hussar-styled 1876 pattern dress tunic, I believe this man to be an officer of Canada's storied North West Mounted Police (NWMP).
His breech-loading Snider-Enfield .577 Mk. III carbine and what appears to be a 1853 Light Cavalry Sabre correspond to the arms issued to members of the NWMP in the 1870s. Consulted sources state that swords were issued to officers and NCOs to the rank of staff sergeant, and Beaumont Adams Mk I & Mk III revolvers were issued to all ranks.