French Uniforms (Imperial Guard) in 1859

Modeled on the Imperial Guard of his uncle, Napoleon III (b. April 20, 1808 in Paris; d. January 9, 1873 in Chislehurst near London) established a similar guard formation in 1854 in the form of a mixed division. This initially comprised 2 infantry brigades, 1 cavalry brigade, gendarmerie, artillery and engineers. From 1855 an additional transport squadron, 1 foot artillery regiment and 1 Zouave regiment were added. In that year the Imperial Guard was also reorganized into two infantry divisions together with 2 cavalry brigades. In 1865 a regiment of Carabiniers was added. The Imperial Guard also took part in combat, e.g. in the Crimean War (1855, 1853–56), in the Italian campaign (1859) and the Franco-Prussian War (1870/71). It suffered heavy losses in places. Also to be mentioned are the Hundred Guards (Cent-Gardes), which were established on March 24, 1854. They were intended for escort duty with the Emperor and for guarding the imperial palaces and gardens. Thus they were a purely court guard.

Below are 24 plates — lithographs — showing the French Imperial Guard in the year 1859. Taken from an original small-format portfolio: 1859. L`Armèe - La Garde Impériale.