The Provost Marshal of the Division of General Bosquet (Roger Fenton, Crimean War, 1855).
The Provost Marshal is the officer in the armed forces who is in charge of the military police (often called the provost). There may be a Provost Marshal serving at many levels of the hierarchy and he/she may also be the public safety officer of a military installation, responsible for the provision of fire and ambulance services as well as law enforcement. A Provost Marshal may also be in charge of the execution of punishments.
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He's striking a very Napoleon Bonaparte pose!
ReplyDeleteHe tries to look tough with his long saber.
DeleteOverall, I like this photo, but there's something about the oversized epaulettes and giant cavalry sabre that make him seem rather small. Perhaps it was all designed to purposely emulate Napoleon.
ReplyDeleteNapoleon wasn't that small. They made an error when converting French feet into English feet... In fact, Napoleon was actually slightly taller than the average Frenchman of the 1800s.
DeleteOh, I know, but it's a common enough myth in the English speaking world that someone attempting to emulate Napoleon would attempt to make himself appear small. When Gen. Tom Thumb had an audience with Victoria he supposedly performed his Napoleon impersonation/
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