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‘Original’ is a relative thing I suppose.
This is another artist who ripped off the piper from the Laurence collection and put a new head on him. he even used the barrel and the pint from the original.
The most valuable and collectible artwork taken from that series of photographs was probably:
Came across this one, which is nice too :
On the 50£ note the piper is lefthanded.
I suppose this is because of the printing technick
Carel
I thought this painting looked a little familiar, which is strange from an original piece. Indeed looks like the one from the Lawerence collection.
That’s a great photo Luke, I like it better than the painting! I’ve seen that one before I think. Where did you find it? Is it printed in a book?
Corin
The Lawrence collection is a collection of photographs on 8x10 glassplates form the late 19th-century. Lawrence photgraphed just about evey landmark , town and village in the country and included other images of crafts and things irish. it’s a wonderful visual record of it’s period. Included are some six images of the same piper in slightly varying settings (different backgrounds, different hats, some with dudeens in the rim, increasing number of empty pints beside him) .
The whole collection used to be in the Nationa Library of Ireland, during the early 80s I had a set of prints made from the original plates, even at the time ridiculously cheap at a few pounds a prints.
A few plates (usually the unsharp or damaged ones, like the one reproduced above which has a slightly blurred face) seem to be in private hands, prints turn up in tourist shops at a price much higher than those from the library collection.
Because the images are so wellknown any amount of rip-offs by ‘original’ artists is in cirulation.
here are a few more from the original series :
Nice pics, Peter. Thanks for them. I imagine they will appear soon enough on UilleannObsession.com 
djm
Thanks, Peter
Very interesting
I would like to see all the old photographs of pipers.
Is there a publication, a book or CD Rom with this material?
Carel
That’s a great photo Luke, I like it better than the painting! I’ve seen that one before I think. Where did you find it? Is it printed in a book?
Actually, I found this one at uilleannobsession.com
Does anybody know who made the set, or if it’s still around?
Luke
Great Photos! The old piper is George McCarthy from Co. Cavan. There is some info about him in O’Neill’s IM&M. O’Neill says he played a fine silver mounted Taylor set although this set in the photos is a Michael Egan. McCarthy died in 1908. In the 1903 picture issued as a postcard from NPU, " Pipers of the 19th Century" he is also shown playing this M.Egan set. Mark
Would anyone comment on the fact that most of these gentlemen are playing with their legs crossed. It looks very casual and relaxed.
Definitely an Egan, B I would think.
Liam McNulty wrote an article in an piobaire when the new 50 note came out, he identified the piper. I am sure Mark is right it is George McCarthy, there is actually a cylinder recording of him playing ‘The Ancient Hill of Slane’. It’s too late in the night now to check the pitch of the pipes on that one. :roll:
‘All these gentlemen’ sitting that way is ofcourse only the one gentleman and he is sitting for a photographer , probably not actually playing as he most likely had to sit through an exposure of several seconds. But you can sit that way, depends on the height of the chair and all that.
“All these pipers” may also be referring to the painting “The Blind Piper” by Haverty.
I question how comfortable the cross-legged position would be after a while. I guess it depends on how bad you have to go.
djm
…potty humor?
This photo also appears in a collage on the back of Shane MacGowan’s ‘Across the Broad Atlantic’ CD. I knew that painting looked familiar.