Can anyone date this picture of Young soldiers - photo is on metal

[barryd]

The Boys Brigade inception was in Glasgow in 1883. If the photograph can be dated prior to 1883 then it is not the Boys Brigade. After 1883?

However the uniform looks very expensive to buy. Rich parents or is it not the Boys Brigade?

[Wiggy]

This is the nearest I can find . . .  not exactly the same but coming close . . .


http://www.rootschat.com/links/01h61/

Open link and scroll down to Uniform Hussars as someone suggested very early in this thread.

[Wiggy]

Here's the photo flipped as they would have looked before being reversed on tintype photo.

[jim1]

Looking at this closely I can see this was taken in a booth rather than a studio which would have made it 1865-75.
Booths using the tintype media were popular in the 1880's & into the 90's. There were still a few surviving into the early Edwardian period but you would have to go with the previous 2 decades particularly the 1890's as this was the heyday for tintypes. A bit of a broad date but the 1890's is the most favourable.
What bothers me is that the Medal is on the right breast. I thought that all Military Medals were on the left.(taking into account tintypes are in reverse).

[Wiggy]

So, should I not have reversed it Jim??   -  for the medal I mean?

What do you think about the uniforms?   (Don't suppose they are 'dressed up' in e.g. father's/grandfather's uniforms wearing someone else's medal? - I presume that is a more recent phenomenon)

[jim1]

When I reverse a photo I always print it so on the image to save confusion.
I must say my first thought about the uniform was Hussars but they look too young but may be they were boy soldiers.

[PopNorth22]

I think they could join up at 16 or even earlier in those days. soldiers,

[youngtug]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Flinn

[PopNorth22]

Thank you. I wonder if I would be able to find army records that would be any help.  They may have been cadets because my Grandfather, who I think may have been the one on the right in the mirror image, was definitely in civvy street until he joined up to the Artillery about 1916 at the age of about 32.