Portraits and Photographs - Piper to the 2nd Marquess of Breadalbane

[figheadair]

It is rare to find portraits and early photographs of the same character. Here’s one such example.

A portrait of John Ban MacKenzie, Piper to the 2nd Marquess of Breadalbane by JM Barclay 1842, and what looks to be a later, poorly executed, copy. The original was stolen in 2017 and has not yet been recovered, the second is coming up for auction shortly labelled as a '19th century Scottish School’ but is obviously based on Barclay’s portrait.

MacKenzie was clothed by his patron and is shown wearing the Campbell of Breadalbane tartan, one of Wilsons of Bannockburn’s Fancy Patterns that they originally called No.64/2 or Abercrombie with Yellow.

And finally, through the magic of the age, here's the man himself wearing the same tartan. Photo by D.O. Hill c 1843-47. (Credit: RCT). This must be amongst the earliest showing Highland Dress.



Here’s a specimen of Wilsons’ pattern from same period.

[OC Richard]

I hadn't seen those, this is the image familiar to many pipers due to appearing in the book Highland Bagpipe Makers.



Showing the later white-whiskered man of the painting.

I didn't realise until I just now, when I Googled him, that he has loads of photos.

I love the super-tall early style Glengarry.

[kilted redleg]

John Ban Mackenzie was the rock star of his day! Legend has it that he was 6'4" in height a mountain of a man having worked in physically challenging jobs before taking up piping. He was said to have piercing blue eyes and flowing blonde hair. He won every contest he competed in. Mackenzie's one drawback was his ego was as big as he was. A story attached to this is when young Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert went to Scotland for the first time they fell in love with the people and country. In her diary Victoria records "all the landowners have a personal bagpiper, I love the sound of the pipes; I must get one for myself. She and Albert are invited to the Marquess castle for dinner. After a sumptuous meal the Marquess invites them into the "great room" for some entertainment. In walks John Ban who proceeds to play for about an hour so enthralled was her majesty that she asks to meet the piper. She tries to lure him away from his current employer but he refuses; she tries two times with an offer of higher pay with room and board still he refuses. Finally being an astute student of human nature and ever the lady [as the current occupant of the throne is], she asks where can she ever find a piper as good looking and can play as well as he does. Mackenzie reportedly looked down at the 5'2" Queen and remarked "Madame on those two accounts alone you will fail miserably."
You can see John Ban's pipes at the piper's persuasion here: http://www.piperspersuasion.com/061-...piping-museum/

[OC Richard]

Peter is the stolen original signed and dated by the artist?

Or is "J M Barclay 1842" an attribution?

Yes the copy looks rather crude.

[figheadair]

Peter is the stolen original signed and dated by the artist?

Or is "J M Barclay 1842" an attribution?

Yes the copy looks rather crude.

Richard, it's not clear from the article but I would assume that the artist is known.

Piper painting worth £10,000 stolen in 'targeted theft'

As a targeted theft, it must be in a private collection somewhere. Someone must be very pleased with themselves but like a flm script, they will only be able to show it to a few people for fear of exposure.

[OC Richard]

I ask because as I'm sure you know with the art world paintings that aren't signed are open to questions about attribution and provenance.

So I would think that either that painting is a signed and dated original, or it's a case of "attributed to".

Either way it's a fine painting and far superior to the copy, which I would call the "Thomas Kinkade School".

[Highland Logan]

John Ban Mackenzie was the rock star of his day! Legend has it that he was 6'4" in height a mountain of a man having worked in physically challenging jobs before taking up piping. He was said to have piercing blue eyes and flowing blonde hair. He won every contest he competed in. Mackenzie's one drawback was his ego was as big as he was. A story attached to this is when young Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert went to Scotland for the first time they fell in love with the people and country. In her diary Victoria records "all the landowners have a personal bagpiper, I love the sound of the pipes; I must get one for myself. She and Albert are invited to the Marquess castle for dinner. After a sumptuous meal the Marquess invites them into the "great room" for some entertainment. In walks John Ban who proceeds to play for about an hour so enthralled was her majesty that she asks to meet the piper. She tries to lure him away from his current employer but he refuses; she tries two times with an offer of higher pay with room and board still he refuses. Finally being an astute student of human nature and ever the lady [as the current occupant of the throne is], she asks where can she ever find a piper as good looking and can play as well as he does. Mackenzie reportedly looked down at the 5'2" Queen and remarked "Madame on those two accounts alone you will fail miserably."
You can see John Ban's pipes at the piper's persuasion here: http://www.piperspersuasion.com/061-...piping-museum/

I wonder how accurate some of the handed down lore is. His eyes may have been as blue as a clear sky, but every photograph of the man, while young enough not to be grey, show a man with very dark hair.

The story however is a great one. Folks do love a humbling "money can't buy everything" story.

Frank

[kilted redleg]

Logan

I first heard that story at a summer piping school run by the College of Piping with Seumas MacNeill and James Bayne sadly both gone now, in 1987. Seumas was giving a talk after lunch about the etiquette in piping particularly for the piper themselves. He referred to it as the John Ban syndrome a condition whereby your ego runs amuck. He told us if you win a competition you humbly say something to the effect of "I just had the better sounding pipe." It's true today that even professional grade pipers carry out this mantra. Professional piper Bruce Gandy from Canada won a prestigious piping competition, when asked how it felt to win he replied "the pipes were going well and I had a lot of luck." Seumas finished his talk in typical Seumas style telling the tale of another professional grade piper who won a very prestigious piping competition and was interviewed in the local paper. When asked how he did it he replied "when I win I consider it luck, though lately the more I practice the luckier I get." Moral of the lesson as you get better you should get humbler.
This is the time of year when we reflect on one greater than us and born in the most humble of circumstances!

[OC Richard]

You can see John Ban's pipes at the piper's persuasion here: http://www.piperspersuasion.com/061-...piping-museum/

I don't see any pipe attributed to him on that page. Did I miss something?

[OC Richard]

if you win a competition you humbly say something to the effect of "I just had the better sounding pipe."

It's like that with gigs for me. After a gig somebody might ask "how did it go?" and I'll say "the pipes were going well".

With gigs it's not being humble, just factual. Because unlike competition, gigs don't present any musical challenges. It's all about how the pipes are going!