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Born on 26 December 1776 in East Flanders, then an Austrian province, Charles Hamilton Smith was a descendent of a Flemish Protestant family named Smet. In England he attended school in Richmond, Surrey, but having returned to Flanders he went on to study at the Austrian Academy for Artillery and Engineers at Malines and Louvain. He was a talented artist and as such provided one of the most valuable references to military costume ever produced.

In Costume of the Army of the British Empire, Hamilton Smith placed on record a detailed account of the several uniforms worn around the time of the Peninsular War. Originally issued in sets of four, the prints were produced from work drawn and etched by Hamilton Smith, then aquatinted by IC Stadler. Publication took place between March 1812 and June 1815 by the London firm of Colnaghi & Co who could be found in Cockspur Street. The printing was done by W Bulmer & Co of Cleveland Row.

In this Guide, Ray Westlake has drawn together a full set of Hamilton Smith's scarce and extremely difficult-to-find colour plates. As well as the British Army, a number of lesser-painted formations have been featured, such as the West India Regiment, King's German Legion, Duke of Brunswick Oels's Corps, the York Light Infantry Volunteers, Royal Military Asylum and native troops of the East India Company. For some 30 of them, he has included copies of Hamilton Smith's original drawings used for the work. Also useful are the six colour charts showing facing and lace colours. With a total of 60 informative plates, this Guide will prove to be a welcome addition to the library of all those interested in military uniform.