A New Addition: Portrait of an Officer by Sir George Chalmers

We recently had the wonderful opportunity to acquire an oil painting depicting an officer of the 24th regiment. While his identity may be a mystery, the artist is not. The officer was beautifully painted by artist Sir George Chalmers while on the island of Minorca in 1754. Pictorial representations of the 24th regiment from the eighteenth century are extremely rare as well as the existence of material relating to this period. This is particularly true in regards to the uniforms that the men would have worn. There has been debate over the years concerning the shade of green worn by the officers in the 24th, however this painting provides us a glimpse into what may have been a true impression of the shade of green and will hopefully settle the debate. Therefore, acquiring such a fine example is of great historical, and regimental, significance.

You may have also noticed the officer is wearing a medal. This gold medallion was given to members of “Loyal and Friendly Society of the Blew and Orange” which is believed to have been founded in the early 1730s and vigorously upheld the Protestant succession to the British throne. As part of the acquisition, the painting will be on permanent display in the museum. To celebrate its acquisition, a temporary display will reunite items of the Blew and Orange Society from The British Library and The King’s Own Regiment.

The exhibition is now closed. Click here to learn more about the exhibition.

Click here to read more about this painting in our collection.