"Drummers in reversed colors?" Topic
4 Posts
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nnascati  | 22 May 2016 5:59 p.m. PST |
All,
I am painting up my Toy Town figures in uniforms based on the First Schleswig War. How far into the 19th century did the practice of drummers wearing reversed colors go? Was it that way in all European armies? Nick |
| robert piepenbrink | 22 May 2016 7:18 p.m. PST |
Properly speaking, you don't find many "reversed" colors in mitteleuropa. It's an Anglophone thing. What you'll find is sometimes the sovereign's livery--all those blue Bourbon musicians or green Bonaparte ones in France--and the colonel's livery in some French, Swiss and Austrian regiments, which was not necessarily related to the regimental facings. Colonel's livery is getting rare even by the Napoleonic wars, though, and what you'll usually see is fancy lace patterns, including "wings." That said, if I had any hint of drummers in contrasting coat colors around the war, I'd jump on it with both feet--and be very careful not to double check my source. It always adds something to a regiment, and reversed colors especially add a nice finished touch. |
 Artilleryman | 23 May 2016 1:48 a.m. PST |
By 1848, the tradition of a very distinctive coat for drummers and buglers etc (i.e. battle musicians not 'the band') had pretty much died out. For most armies it was now just a matter of 'wings' and some extra lace on the same coloured jacket as the rest of the rank and file. Even the British, the great proponents of reversed colours, had given it up by the 1820s. However, if your army is a 'fantasy' one, which, from your basic figures, seems to be the situation, I would do what you want. After all, even in the 'real' 1848, some armies were still dressed basically in Napoleonic style while others were in uniforms that still fundamentally appear on ceremonial parades today. |
| Frederick | 23 May 2016 7:59 a.m. PST |
Agree that the Brits were the big fans of reversed colours – the Austrians,Prussians and Russians never went in for it and the French went for green jackets in 1811 with the Bardin regulations – up to that point French musicians had a lot of leeway All that being said my biggest Imaginations army has reversed colours for the musicians 'cause I like the way they look! |
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