Chromolithograph recruiting poster, after I Hassall, 1900 (c).

This recruitment poster depicts a drummer of the Coldstream Guards. Being a drummer was not a purely ceremonial role.

Although by 1900 commanders no longer relied on musicians to communicate orders to their troops on the field of battle, drummers were expected to fulfil other roles on the battlefield such as signalling, handing out ammunition or acting as stretcher bearers.

NAM Accession Number
NAM. 1977-06-81-34
Copyright/Ownership
National Army Museum, London