14th Kings Hussars in India, Group shots. Albumen photographs

Bangalore, India, 1877. Very good condition. Four large albumen photographs with pen and ink decoration surrounding them, of the famed Victorian light cavalry regiment known as the Hussars, in India.

The albumen photographs on the front are: a portrait of three relaxed officers lounging in uniform on the terrace of a colonial building in India, captioned in ink in a period hand, "McBurn, Capt. Malone, and Hon.ble H. G. Gough". The two men at the left wear small round caps; the man at the right sits with one leg flung over the arm of his chair.

The second image is a large group portrait of the regiment in civilian dress, including wives and Indian servants, at the colonnaded facade of an imposing building, captioned "XIV Hussars Group, Mess House, Bangalore, 1877". Below this image, an unidentified member of the regiment and his wife are portrayed in a charming pen and ink cartoon of the couple in a row boat, with a clipped photo of their faces pasted in.

On the verso, an impressive private residence with British women waiting in a horse drawn carriage at the portico, and Indian servants, is captioned in period ink, "General Macintyre's House, Secunderabad". Below is another image of a grand residence, with a curved façade on which is painted a sign, "The Deanery, 1877". It is captioned in period hand, "Mr. Dean's house. North Trimulgherry". Both of these large albumen photographs are decorated with hand drawn pen and ink borders.

According to an autobiography by Edwin Mole entitled 'A King's Hussar: Being the Military Memoirs for Twenty-five Years of a Troop-sergeant-major of the 14th (King's) Hussars', the regiment's horses were being newly imported from Australia. The new hardier breed, dubbed "Walers", were imported from New South Wales to replace the existing stock from England which was suffering in the harsh climate. Sgt. Mole was sent to Australia as part of a commission to supervise the breeding of the stock of "Walers".

The four prints laid down on card stock, 11 ½ x 18". 3 of the 4 albumen images, 11 ¼ x 9; one image 5 1/2 x 4"