The costume
Eastward Ho!
This man wears the traditional uniform of the Chelsea Pensioners, the distinctive scarlet coat and tricorne hat. Since 1692, retired war veterans have lived at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London.
By the late 1850s straw bonnets were sat well back on the head to leave space for the fashionable hairstyle: a central parting with hair puffed out over the ears. The bonnets were tied with wide ribbons, often chosen to contrast with the colour of the wearer's dress.
This soldier wears a red double-breasted tunic. The style replaced the traditional tailcoat and was introduced for nearly all British regiments in 1855. The tunic was a practical style, influenced by French military dress.
Jerseys were popular with fishermen and sailors from the mid-nineteenth century. Predominantly blue or grey, they often had elaborate stitching patterns. They were warm but lightweight, enabling them to dry quickly.
The plaid shawl was a practical outdoor garment to wear over the fashionable crinoline dresses. The craze for shawls had come from expensive and luxurious Kashmir shawls imported from India. Cheaper versions from Norwich and Paisley made the shawl accessible to the wider market. 'Plaid' did not only refer to the pattern of the shawl but also to the shape; a 'plaid' being a longer shawl of 10 or 12 feet.
The wearing of black at this time meant that a lady was in mourning. Victorian codes of mourning were very strict. A husband was expected to wear a black suit for 3 months after the death of his wife. A widow was expected to mourn for 2 ½ years. She initially wore black, followed by 'half-mourning' (mauve or black and white) for 6 months.
Home Again
 |  Victoria Cross medal awarded during the Indian Mutiny (Enlarge image) |
This soldier wears the khaki uniform of European soldiers in India at the time of the Mutiny. A Kilmarnock ‘pork-pie’ cap under the white cotton ‘Havelock’ cover to protect the neck from sunburn. Khaki is a Persian word which means ‘ash’ or ‘dust’, and the colour is often referred to as ‘drab’.
This man wears an oilskin hat. These were made from linen or cotton which were soaked in boiled Linseed oil to become waterproof. He wears a red woollen shirt, a popular colour for working clothes and military uniforms because of its durability.
This soldier wears the uniform of the 93rd Highlanders regiment. He has his arm round his daughter and looks away in distress. The letter he has just read is from his wife who has left him. On the replica version of the painting in the National Army Museum, the words "deceive...wife...who loved you" can be traced.
This wooden toy replaces the toy soldier the little girls played with in Eastward Ho! It is a painted Indian soldier on horseback, perhaps brought back by their father as a gift.
The wounded soldier is wearing a pair of comfortable embroidered slippers. The pattern looks exotic, but embroidered slippers were actually common at the time in Britain. Patterns were published in magazines and were for sale in shops. The uppers were usually embroidered at home and were then taken to a shoemaker to be made up.