NAM.2017-09-7-18-174

Photograph of an inspection of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards,Chelsea Barracks, 1912. Two longs rows of Grenadier Guardsman line up in the parade square with the buildings of Chelsea Barracks behind them. They are wearing full dress with scarlet tunic, white pouch belt, bearskin cap and with their rifles with bayonets attached resting on their left shoulders. Four officers can be seen on the right inspecting the troops. Two are wearing the Grenadier Guards full dress with swords hanging from their sword belts, whilst the other two are wearing cocked hats with feathers and frock coats, also with their swords hanging from sword belts. One of them is possibly Maj Gen Sir Alfred Edward Codrington. The image was possibly taken by Christina Broom (1862-1939) who is credited as being the UK’s first female press photographer. She taught herself photography and set up a stall in the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace, selling postcards of photographs that she had taken from 1903 until 1930, operating under the professional name of Mrs Albert Broom. She was appointed official photographer to the Household Division from 1904 to 1939 and had a darkroom in the Chelsea Barracks. From an album of 212 photographs (including archives) compiled by or presented to Lt Col Wadham Heathcote Diggle, 1910-1912 (c). It includes many portraits, group portraits and other images, many taken at the Guards Depot in Caterham and Pirbright, plus images of parades, sports, dogs and horses.