Mounted Officer in Dress Tunic 1862

The dress uniform for hussars was radically changed in 1856 following the Crimean war which revealed the unsuitability of the previous uniforms, hardly changed since Waterloo. The new tunic was blue with a 9 inch deep skirt that reached the thighs, decorated with gold chain lace that followed the edges of the tunic except for the collar. There were six rows of button loops that extended across the chest, of chain lace, ending in caps and drops. The back seams were covered by a double row of chain lace and traced around with Russia braid. The collar was two inches deep, with a row of gold lace along the top edge, and had the badges of rank: cornets, a star; lieutenants a crown; captains a crown and star; majors and above had an extra row of gold lace on the bottom of the collar - majors had a star badge; lieutenant-colonels a crown ; colonels a star and crown. The cuffs were also an indication of rank, becoming more elaborately braided the higher the rank. This mounted officer has leathered trousers and a busby cap which was 7.75 inches high at the front, 9 inches at the back. The bag was scarlet with a single line of gold Russia braid with a gimp button at the base. The plume was now white osprey over black feathers. This was the first time that the 10th had a black base to the plume. The portrait of Prince Albert Edward shows the busby and the early tunic uniform with field officers’ cuff decoration.
The other radical change to the regimental appearance was the blue shabraque. The horses of the 10th had been adorned with red shabraques since they became hussars in 1806. The blue shabraques lasted from 1856 to 1883 in which year they were changed back to scarlet. The leopard skin cover in this painting has a head and short legs but was more likely to have been rectangular. The skin was framed with a gold fringe over a blue scalloped edge. The other change was the white over black horsehair throat plume on the bridle.
The standing figure is an officer in frock coat which is fastened to the neck and decorated with flat black silk loops. His pill-box cap is blue with a band of gold lace, the same pattern as the two thinner bands of gold lace on his trousers.

Regimental Details | Uniforms