This postcard is undated but is probably from the early 1890s. The two drummers are in different types of dress doublet because the central figure is in the Corps of Drums which means that his duties required him usually to act independently as a bugler for calling the men on parade or following the CO or company commander to transmit orders in the field. His doublet is embellished with inch-lace that has a repeating pattern of red embroidered crowns. This lace covers the collar, shoulder wings and sleeves, and also covers the seams on the back of the doublet.
The drummer on the right is a band musician, his doublet differing in that the plain white lace forms stripes on his shoulder wings but does not appear on the collar sleeves or seams. There were normally two drummers in the band, a snare drummer and the bass drummer, or time-beater, as seen here. The striking feature of his uniform is the head of a tiger behind his collar. This is the back of a tiger-skin apron worn to protect his uniform from the friction caused by the drum hooked onto his front. In hot weather this would have caused the drummer considerable discomfort as he also has a shoulder plaid wrapped around his upper body, with the falling end on his left shoulder.
The Corp of Drums drummer has no sporran like the sergeant, as this would get in the way of the drum suspended from the white leather drum carriage on his right shoulder. On his left shoulder is the tri-colour cord for a bugle which rests on his right hip.
