buttons and Bowes

Not just any old buttons either - these are from the Savile Row tailors Poole & Co's ledger. This page contains the livery buttons for Emperor Napolean III and HE Surtees. The craftsmanship of the military costumes on display was extraordinary. It holds particular interest for me cos my dad was in a military band, so my early memories are of this kind of uniform (tho' not as posh!) and one of my ancestors was a tailor on Savile Row, which would account for why I can hardly thread a needle without doing myself serious injury! Here's the link to the exhibition at the marvelous Bowes Museum.