http://www.retronaut.co/2011/05/photographs-of-napoleons-veterans/
Quote'Photographs of veterans of Napoleon's Grande Armée and the Guard wearing their original uniforms and insignia. Likely date May 5, 1858 – all are wearing the Saint Helene medal, issued on August 12, 1857 to all veterans of the wars of the Revolution and the Empire. May 5 – the anniversary of the death of Napoleon. Every year on that date veterans gathered in Paris:
''The base and railings of the column of the Place Vendôme appear this day decked out with the annual offerings to the memory of the man whose statue adorns the summit. The display of garlands of immortelles, and other tributes of the kind, is greater than usual... the old soldiers of the Empire performed their usual homage yesterday at the same place.'
Times - May, 1855'
- Brown University Library
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.howtobearetronaut.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F04%2FM.-Ducel-Mameluke-de-la-Garde-1813-1815.jpg&hash=ec0858e667cde3e95f5efa765e3d9a4a6dc535fc)
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.howtobearetronaut.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F04%2FM.-Dreuse-2nd-Light-Horse-Lancers-of-the-Guard-1813-14.jpg&hash=394586923d52e55c53cda593645ce30e431160f4)
Those are also the oldest soldiers in uniform ever taken on photo.
I remain fascinated everytime I look at them, though. Those men would be over 200 years old today. I wonder what they could tell us... especially the Mamluke.
Quote from: Martim Silva on March 14, 2012, 11:12:50 AM
Those are also the oldest soldiers in uniform ever taken on photo.
I remain fascinated everytime I look at them, though. Those men would be over 200 years old today. I wonder what they could tell us... especially the Mamluke.
I also wonder what they would say if they were alive today.
Probably something along the lines of "let me out of this box! I can't breathe! Help!". ;)
:frusty:
They were short.
Quote from: Barrister on March 14, 2012, 01:43:51 PM
:frusty:
... and that's what they'd be *doing*. :lol:
Great posture for their age.
If only today's war veterans could fit into their uniforms 50 years on.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm3.static.flickr.com%2F2091%2F1500925550_9c23a4bb09.jpg%3Fv%3D0&hash=db7e09144d4e3ce5b3918662174e967f1629cdd7)
:bowler:
Quote from: Valmy on March 14, 2012, 03:08:18 PM
If only today's war veterans could fit into their uniforms 50 years on.
I see a great many who can. Unless you mean the Afghan/Iraq vets. Those will likely be mega fat in 50 years.