Bandsmen 1850

The bandsmen in this illustration painted by P W Reynolds wear dress and undress uniforms. The dress uniform on the right is the white tail-coat as seen in the Hayes print of 1846 except that the shoulders have brass cavalry-style shoulder scales. The facings are dark blue and the cuffs have a white slash flap. The coat is double-breasted with blue piping down the front edge. The tails cannot be seen but hang down below the waist at the back. He has a white waist-belt which supports a special pattern bandsman's sword. His shako is the 1844 Albert pattern but unlike the band in the 1846 print, this musician has a red drooping plume.
The bandsman on the left is in undress, wearing a white shell jacket. This is single-breasted and is waist-length, with no tails. The collar, pointed cuffs and shoulder straps are dark blue and he also has a white waist-belt, but no visible sword. The special pattern pill-box cap has a diamond-shaped white pattern on a blue cap-band. This style of cap can be seen in photos of bandsmen taken in the 1860s. There is a badge above the cap-band but too indistinct to describe. The trousers worn by both men are also a special pattern for the band, having a broad stripe down the side which is red with white edges.
Reynolds’s sources for this illustration are not known but must be based on good information. He was a keen student of military uniform who made detailed studies of all the regiments. His beautifully illustrated note-books, compiled in the early 20th century, are kept in the V&A Museum in London.

Regimental Details | Drummers & Musicians