Prussian Guard Kaiser Alexander Regt Nr 1 Named Grenadier Mitre w/ Photo

This is a Prussian Grenadiermütze (grenadier mitre cap) of the Russian-style pattern worn by the Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Kaiser Alexander Nr. 1 (Guard Grenadier Regiment Kaiser Alexander No. 1), the senior guard grenadier regiment of the Imperial German Army, identified by its original interior label as the property of Grenadier Visser, 1. Kompanie, Regt. Alexander — the first company of the Kaiser Alexander regiment. The piece is offered together with an original period photograph from a Berlin studio showing soldiers of this regiment in full dress uniform wearing the same pattern of cap, providing direct visual context for the mitre as worn and carried. The combination of a confirmed named interior label, a regimental identification that matches the label precisely, and a period reference photograph documenting the uniform in use in Berlin constitutes a level of provenance that is virtually unique among surviving examples of this cap type.

The mitre is constructed in the Russian-style pattern specific to the Kaiser Alexander regiment and the associated Erste Garde-Regiment zu Fuß (1st Guard Infantry Regiment on Foot), a form derived from the Russian-influenced ceremonial tradition that the regiment inherited from its dynastic connection to the Russian Imperial family and its honorific name. The front plate is formed of polished brass in a tall pointed arch, carrying two applied fittings in gilt brass: an upper Prussian royal crown and, centered below it, the starburst medallion bearing the eagle and "SUUM CUIQUE" motto — "To Each His Own" — the device of the Orden vom Schwarzen Adler (Order of the Black Eagle) carried as a regimental distinction by the Kaiser Alexander regiment alone. The reverse of the front plate is visible from inside the cap and shows the dark metal backing of the starburst fitting. The lower circumference carries brass overlapping fish-scale Schuppenkette (chinscales) with a buckle fitting on one side. Mounted on each side of the Stulpe (turn-up band) is a cast brass Granate (grenade ornament) — the traditional grenadier emblem of sphere and rising flame, retained from the seventeenth century through the full Imperial period as the identifying badge of grenadier troops. The Stulpe itself is constructed of white sheepskin fur, the natural pale tone aged to an ivory character consistent with long storage. The Beutel (bag) is constructed of scarlet crimson wool felt, divided by a central vertical seam and edged with a flat braid at the edges. At the apex is the Bommel (pompon), a large, full, rounded wool pompon in scarlet red — the correct enlisted-grade pompon color for this regiment, distinct from the dark cylindrical officer pompon — retaining excellent color and substantial form, with a tightly knitted cylindrical lower stem transitioning to the full wool ball above.

The interior is fitted with a black grained leather sweatband at the opening, now significantly cracked and separated — the condition typical of aged organic leather of this period — with the red felt of the Beutel visible through the opening above. Sewn to the interior of the sweatband is a period woven fabric label in Gothic type reading "Grenadier / Visser / 1. Komp. Regt. Alexander" — Grenadier Visser, 1st Company, Kaiser Alexander Regiment — the standard pattern of regimental ownership labels applied to individual equipment items to identify them to a specific soldier and company within the regiment's stores. This label is intact, legible, and unambiguously identifies the cap's original military owner and unit.

The Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Kaiser Alexander Nr. 1 was the senior grenadier regiment of the Prussian Guard Corps, named in honor of Tsar Alexander I of Russia in recognition of the close dynastic and military relationship between Prussia and Russia forged through the Napoleonic Wars. The honor of bearing the Orden vom Schwarzen Adler starburst and the motto SUUM CUIQUE on the regimental headgear was a distinction conferred by the Hohenzollern crown and carried by no other regiment in the same form. The regiment garrisoned Berlin during the Imperial period and stood among the formations most closely connected to the person of the Kaiser and the ceremonial life of the court. The Russian-style mitre worn by its enlisted grenadiers was one of the most visually distinctive headdresses in the entire Imperial German military establishment, directly traceable in form and iconography to the eighteenth-century grenadier tradition.

The accompanying photograph, mounted on a board backing with the photographer's printed stamp and handwritten inscriptions on the reverse, shows six soldiers of the regiment standing in formal dress at attention in what appears to be a Berlin courtyard or garden, rifles at their sides and folding chairs placed behind alternate men — the standard arrangement for a formal group portrait of the period. Each soldier wears the Russian-style brass mitre, the dark tunic with white cross-strap equipment, and white summer trousers, the full parade dress of the regiment as it appeared in Berlin service. The photograph was taken by Rich. Gast, Photogr. Atelier, Berlin N.O. Kaiserstraße 15, a documented Berlin photography studio. On the reverse, a later hand has written in German: "Viktor Fleischmann, geb. 1876, 27.7. im Zinnried Oberpfalz. Dieses ist eine Aufnahme von der Militär in Berlin" — Viktor Fleischmann, born 27 July 1876 in Zinnried, Upper Palatinate [Bavaria]; this is a photograph of the military in Berlin. The dagger symbol (†) preceding the name indicates that Fleischmann was deceased at the time of writing, suggesting the inscription was added posthumously by a family member identifying the photograph in a personal archive. Fleischmann's connection to the photograph — whether as a soldier pictured, an acquaintance of one pictured, or a collector — is not documented beyond this inscription. The photograph provides direct visual confirmation of how this cap pattern was worn in Berlin garrison service.

The front plate of the mitre presents with the warm aged brass tone of long storage, showing natural oxidation and patina without evidence of recent cleaning. The crown and starburst fittings are solidly mounted and retain their form. The white fur Stulpe shows age toning and expected soiling. The scarlet felt Beutel retains strong color. The brass grenade ornaments and chinscales are present. The red pompon is in excellent condition with strong color and full form. The interior leather sweatband is significantly deteriorated, which is characteristic of aged organic materials of this period and has no effect on the structural integrity or display presentation of the piece. The interior label is present, intact, and fully legible. The photograph is in good condition with the image surface intact, some handling wear to the board mount corners, and residual tape at the mount edges on the reverse consistent with previous archival storage. No tears or significant damage are visible in the provided images.

For the collector of Prussian Guard material, this mitre represents the convergence of three independent lines of documentation — the regimental frontplate device, the named interior ownership label, and the period reference photograph — all pointing to the same regiment and the same moment in the institutional life of the Kaiser Alexander Garde-Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 1. Enlisted-grade mitres from this regiment with intact named labels are exceptionally uncommon on the collector market, and the addition of a Berlin studio photograph showing the regiment in the cap as worn constitutes a research and display resource of genuine historical value.