Taken well after the end of the Victorian era, this image may depict a private of the 2nd Battalion, the Gloucestershire Regiment. At some point in the photo's past, someone added a pencil note on the card's reverse side identifying the subject as a Gloster along with the date of 1911. Although almost invisible, this soldier's collar badges may be of a sphinx such as those worn by the Glosters. The regiment's 2nd battalion was indeed posted to Tientsin c. 1913. The soldier's distinctive fur cap that rests next to his hand was of a pattern which I believe was only authorized for wear in north China. He wears two good conduct stripes on his left cuff of his five-button frock.

Cabinet Photograph
L. Yuk Sun - Photographer
Tientsin, North China
c. 1913