Camp bed, used by Lieutenant Horace Paul

This is a detail of an early folding camp bed used by Lieutenant Horace Paul of the 1st Dragoon Guards, during the campaign in Flanders in 1794-5. The portable bed folded into a wooden trunk which required two men to lift it.

The canvas is covered with ticking and has a border of leather. Rope attaches the canvas to the iron frame. The bed is attached to a wooden trunk, into which the frame folds away.

Military campaigns often involved long periods on the move or in camp, with all the necessities of life having to be carried. Basic food and shelter was provided. Those who could afford it made themselves as comfortable as possible by buying extra equipment. This often meant that the conditions were better for officers than for the men they commanded.

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