Soldiers awarded the Crimean Medal by Queen Victoria

5" x 6" glass plate negative showing a group of six soldiers who served in the Crimean War. On the back row, standing right to left: Private Charles Smith of the Grenadier Guards and Gunner George Bagsham of the Royal Artillery. On the front row, seated from right to left: Sergeant Thomas Owens of the Royal Artillery, Private George Biddlecom of the Scots Fusilier Guards, Private Isaac Church of the Grenadier Guards and Private Ed Barrett of the Grenadier Guards. They are wearing the dress uniform of their regiment and the Crimean Medal. There are two windows of Buckingham Palace behind them. 

These soldiers were awarded the Crimean Medal by Queen Victoria on 18th May 1855. Throughout the war she had taken an active interest in the welfare of the troops and on their return to Britain she met a number of veterans at Buckingham Palace and at the military hospital at Chatham. Private Church later became a night porter at Windsor Castle.

The glass plate negative has been photographed showing the coated side and therefore the image appears laterally reversed. No prints from this negative seems to exist in the Collection but there is a print of a variant (RCIN 2500169).