Chelsea pensioners with a view of the hospital.

The Royal Hospital, Chelsea is shown in the background of this jolly scene of active and retired soldiers talking outside a public house.

This inexpensive, hand-coloured print is loosely based on David Wilkie's painting: The Chelsea Pensioners reading the Waterloo Dispatch, which was first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1822. It was so popular that a barrier had to be placed before the painting to protect it from the crowd. It represents soldiers reading about Wellington's victory against Napoleon's army at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

Unlike the original painting, which carefully distinguished the different uniforms of each soldier, this print is much more generalised. It gives greater prominence to the hospital, which, as its caption points out, was founded by King Charles II as a retirement home for disabled soldiers. Two soldiers using crutches can be seen at the centre, while many other have walking sticks.