Robert Cornelis Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala

Signed by Spy (Leslie Ward), this chromolithograph caricature is captioned 'the British Expedition' and identified in the plate record as Men of the Day No. 177. It shows Field Marshal Lord Napier of Magdala in a long double-breasted frock coat, one hand tucked inside the lapel, the other loose at his side — a pose of stolid authority. The caption salutes his command of the 1867–68 Abyssinian campaign, a punitive expedition to rescue British hostages from Emperor Tewodros II, celebrated at home as a model of Victorian military logistics and imperial will. Ward's rendering emphasises Napier's heavy build, drooping walrus moustache, and blunt jaw. The crown device in the upper corner signals peerage rank.