This stiff looking geezer is an officer of the 50th regiment of foot. This photo was taken sometime between 1866 and 1869 in Sydney, after active service in New Zealand. The rank of captain is evident from the insignia on his cuff and collar, his medals were awarded for service in the Crimean war. I chose this photo to illustrate how rigid you had to be when sitting for a portrait back then.Wet plate photography was the technology of the day. First you had to prepare what was known as a collodian solution by putting nitric acid and sulphuric acid onto raw cotton and then dissolving it in ethanol and ether which were mixed with iodide and bromide. You then clean a glass plate and pour this solution onto it, tilting the glass until the entire surface is covered. Once the collodian had slightly congealed you placed the coated glass into a bucket of silver nitrate. A chemical reaction would then take place with the iodide, bromide and silver nitrate causing the glass plate to now be coated in a photo sensitive silver halide.
Now you just clean the back of the glass and place it into a light proof holder then slide it into the camera. Exposure was controlled by removing and replacing the lens cap and a good exposure could take anywhere between 20 seconds and 5 minutes, and all this had to take place while the glass plate was still wet.
In order to keep your subjects in place during these uncomfortably long exposures subjects would have to be kept still with metal rods and braces that would not look out of place in a torture chamber.
The year is 1953 and the location is Korea. Private Alan Brown is wounded in the neck by mortar shrapnel is carefully carried by stretcher to an awaiting Sikorsky S-51 Dragonfly rescue helicopter, destination is to a US Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (M.A.S.H.).This image was used to show the difference in the camera and film technology from the wet plate nightmare of yesteryear. The fast film speed of the silver halide coated film and the fast shutter speed has enabled the photographer to stop time and freeze motion. The helicopter is just inches off the ground and the rotor blades appear nearly motionless, a feat which would have been impossible in the late 19th century.
Just 10 years after the photo of the Crimean war officer the dry plate was invented and ten years after that in 1889 George Eastman invented the cellulose film that we are familiar with today and the box camera made it's way into many homes.
The year is sometime around 1906 and we are confronted by swashbuckling men in skirts (ooh scary). These three men belong to the South Australian Scottish infantry.A spiked pith helmet with feather hackle replaced the traditional feather bonnet in Australia and India. The reasoning for this would have been that the bonnet suited colder climates like those in Scotland and the pith helmet would have allowed more airflow. The helmet not only served a defensive role but an offensive one as well, if you ran out of bullets or you dropped your sword you could use the spike on the helmet to create more airflow in the enemy.
The kilt was a very practical piece of clothing and there is good reason why you don't wear any underwear with them. When in war you want to remain at the ready and having your pants down around your ankles could prove to be the last time you did so. With the kilt you can drop a brown bundle and dash for cover if needed without any fuss. The kilt has no pockets and that's where the dead badger on the front comes in handy, it's called a sporran and is in fact a large pocket. This is probably where they kept their frilly hankies.
A feather bonnet is now replaced by this impressive helmet that is comprised of kevlar, leather, plastic, velcro and nylon webbing. The chin strap is a three point harness that is retained on either side of the chin by plastic 'fastex' retaining clips.
The stiff looking woollen coat is now replaced by camouflaged or Disruptive Pattern Desert Uniform (DPDU) shirt. The front of the shirt is fastened with five buttons and all except the top are enclosed. Sleeves between the wrist and elbow are reinforced with a second layer of fabric, the cuff of which can be adjusted with three buttons and a fabric tab. There are four expandable pockets on the breast and torso which can be closed with two buttons and concealed with a flap, the two breast pockets are at a downward angle from the shoulder. There is a velcro strip to attach a name tag just above the left beast pocket. Epelettes are secured with a single button.
Pretty white cotton gloves are now replaced by more practical abrasion resistant kevlar and leather gloves, the figertips of which are sometimes cut off to provide more tactile information and grip.
Gone are the days when heavy steel or lead breastplates would protect vital organs, these days we have lightweight kevlar panels. Each manufacturer has it's own designs, materials and levels of protection and many parents believed the lives of their sons and daughters were lost due to cheaper and inferior vest that were issued by the army. To counteract this, some parents were buying their own vests and shipping them out to their children in Iraq. The need for the Defense Department to cut corners and costs is not surprising when the you look at the cost of the war so far. On Friday the 3rd of February 2006 The Seattle Times reported that the Defense Department had said that it is spending about $100 000 a minute or about $4.5 billion a month in Iraq. In Afghanistan they were spending roughly $18 000 a minute or about $800 million a month.This vests materials consist of cotton, nylon webbing, brass, elastic, velcro and a DPDU fabric. The vests construction is practical and high tech. The right hand shoulder strap has a brass stud that covers a velcro qick release tab. There are 30 x 25 cm pockets with velcro closures that are designed to hold kevlar panels. Front and rear pockets allow further armour or weather protection material to be added.
Ammo belts have been used for hundreds of years, before guns quivers were used to hold arrows or pouches used to hold blow darts. Today the ammo belt has evolved along with everything else to become a comfortable vest with storage for not just ammo. This vest is constructed from nylon webbing, velcro, brass, plastic and a DPDU fabric. The harness is made from an open weave khaki nylon fabric and has padded shoulder straps. Three fastex clips secure it at the front. Attached to the harness around the waist are seven pouches. Four pouches are for ammunition, one is for a knife and there are two additional pouches for compass and condoms, or whatever.
While not as versatile as the kilt when it comes to pumping out mud puppies, it does look more manly and offers a lot more protection. They are constructed out of nylon, plastic, cotton and the DPDU fabric with khaki plastic buttons. Knees are reinforced with with a second layer of fabric and the ankles have a draw string. There are standard slash pockets at the hip and a patch pocket with button closure on the right buttock. The thighs each sport expanding pockets that are closed with two buttons which are concealed with a flap. The trousers have a fly, you just supply your own fishing pole, and have a two button waistband, I guess that is in case one breaks while your feverishly ripping your pants off to unload last nights curry.
Imagine planting your knee down on gravel all day while you steady your rifle to take aim, at the end of the day your knee would look like a waffle. That's where these babies come in. Constructed of foam rubber, metal, plastic, nylon, elastic and a splash of camouflage paint.
These things look more comfortable and useful than those dainty Scottish boots. Constructed of leather, brass, rubber, plastic and suede. Five pairs of riveted loops and four pairs of brass eyelets keep the green nylon laces from dragging on the ground. To further stop the laces going AWOL there is a brass D ring up the top with a plastic lock down stud. On each instep there is a pair of mesh covered ventilation holes which release heat and noxious fumes at periodic intervals.In summary I can say that army trousers have filtered into civilian life in the form of the popular cargo pants, even police wear them now. The experience of constructing boots that are comfortable ventilated, protective and long lasting would filter into the hiking boot industry.
Sources
Photos and their related content courtesy of the Australian War Memorial
viewed 24th February 2009
Wet plate photography
viewed 24th February 2009
viewed 24th February 2009
George Eastman
viewed 24th February 2009
The Seattle Times
viewed 24th February 2009
Humour
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supplied by me
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