Photograph, in uniform

That other photo beside her bed, it’s in a silver photo-frame. Nice piece of work: floral, smooth but slightly stylised, kind of early Art Nouveau, at a guess.

The picture’s of a young woman, looking somewhat like Aunt Kat herself might have been in her younger days, but from an earlier era again – 1880s, perhaps, which would match up with the style of the frame. Her mother, maybe? Grandmother? Either way, it’s a typical portrait of the time, kind of half sideways-on, looking to the left, and shown from perhaps a bit above the waist. No big surprise there, as such.

But whoever this is, what she was wearing is like the jacket of a military uniform. Very much in a men’s military style, yet cut for a woman – not as a fashion item, but seemingly as for proper military wear. A woman, in soldier’s uniform? In the 1880s?

I’d better take a closer look…

As I pick up the picture-frame, the photo falls out. The picture’s not just upper-body only – it’s a full-body portrait that’s been folded over to fit into the frame. And yes, it is indeed a woman in full military uniform – in exactly the same overall style as men’s uniforms of that era. And not with skirt, but trousers. In Victorian England? For a woman? That should have been an absolute scandal back then. And yet the style and pose seem routine, ordinary, everyday, just like those I’d seen in so many soldier’s portraits from that time.

There’s an old magnifying-glass on one of the bookshelves on the far side of the room, so I use that to take a closer look at whatever it is that she’s wearing. No question about it, it is a military uniform – the overall style is exactly right for that period, other than that necessary difference in cut to fit a woman’s body. There’s some arm-insignia – a braided knot at the wrist, and a rank-badge of some kind – though none of it makes sense for any rank from that time that I know. There’s also a shoulder-lapel, a unit-identifier that looks a bit like an engineer’s, but actually reads ‘Viner’. What kind of unit was that? – I’ve never heard of it. Perhaps some kind of connection with that ‘Viner Codex’ book I found in the kitchen?

Not a clue.

That other photo beside her bed, it’s in a silver photo-frame. Nice piece of work: floral, smooth but slightly stylised, kind of early Art Nouveau, at a guess.

The picture’s of a young woman, looking somewhat like Aunt Kat herself might have been in her younger days, but from an earlier era again – 1880s, perhaps, which would match up with the style of the frame. Her mother, maybe? Grandmother? Either way, it’s a typical portrait of the time, kind of half sideways-on, looking to the left, and shown from perhaps a bit above the waist. No big surprise there, as such.

But whoever this is, what she was wearing is like the jacket of a military uniform. Very much in a men’s military style, yet cut for a woman – not as a fashion item, but seemingly as for proper military wear. A woman, in soldier’s uniform? In the 1880s?

I’d better take a closer look…

As I pick up the picture-frame, the photo falls out. The picture’s not just upper-body only – it’s a full-body portrait that’s been folded over to fit into the frame. And yes, it is indeed a woman in full military uniform – in exactly the same overall style as men’s uniforms of that era. And not with skirt, but trousers. In Victorian England? For a woman? That should have been an absolute scandal back then. And yet the style and pose seem routine, ordinary, everyday, just like those I’d seen in so many soldier’s portraits from that time.

There’s an old magnifying-glass on one of the bookshelves on the far side of the room, so I use that to take a closer look at whatever it is that she’s wearing. No question about it, it is a military uniform – the overall style is exactly right for that period, other than that necessary difference in cut to fit a woman’s body. There’s some arm-insignia – a braided knot at the wrist, and a rank-badge of some kind – though none of it makes sense for any rank from that time that I know. There’s also a shoulder-lapel, a unit-identifier that looks a bit like an engineer’s, but actually reads ‘Viner’. What kind of unit was that? – I’ve never heard of it. Perhaps some kind of connection with that ‘Viner Codex’ book I found in the kitchen?

Not a clue.

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