He says; 'Very rare photo of a complete regiment under the Second Empire. This is the cavalry regiment of the Imperial Guard (created on May 1, 1854), located in Versailles. Formed from elements from the 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th Mounted Artillery Regiments of the line. He will be engaged in Crimea, Italy and during the War of 1870.
The barracks housing the Garde artillery was built after 1854 on the site of the old quarry of the Grande Ecurie, bordered to the west by the Grande Ecuria, to the east by the ex-prison Saint-Pierre and the courts, it extended between Avenue de Saint-Cloud and Avenue de Paris. It was destroyed by an accidental shell explosion in 1944.
The cavalry uniform consisted of a dolman in dark blue sheet, decorated with five rows of copper buttons; scarlet straps and braids; blue trousers, scarlet stripes and passports; black seal skin talpack with flame and scarlet lace; egret in lilac, scarlet and white; coat in dark blue sheet; white bufflettery; gibernet decorated with a crowned eagle, with crossed cannons; dark blue sheet sabretache; scarlet gallon; eagle plate.'
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