X Marks the Scot - An on-line community of kilt wearers.

   X Marks Partners - (Go to the Partners Dedicated Forums )
USA Kilts website Celtic Croft website Celtic Corner website Houston Kiltmakers

User Tag List

Results 1 to 8 of 8
  1. #1
    Join Date
    20th May 20
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    24
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Toronto police pipe band- 1912

    Recently I was playing around with a colourizer for black and white photos. I decided to try it out on this photo of the original Toronto Police Pipe Band, circa 1912. After a bit of tweaking after the fact I think the results are pretty cool. Click image for larger version. 

Name:	pipeband5-01-colorized-01.jpeg 
Views:	57 
Size:	76.1 KB 
ID:	40791
    That chap in the middle would get quite the fine under the endangered species act if he was around wearing that these days!

  2. The Following 8 Users say 'Aye' to Bjørn For This Useful Post:


  3. #2
    Join Date
    1st September 21
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    76
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    That’s pretty cool.

    I still shoot film, so I have to pick before I load the camera…

  4. #3
    Join Date
    20th May 20
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    24
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by Recon1342 View Post
    That’s pretty cool.

    I still shoot film, so I have to pick before I load the camera…
    That's not something you hear everyday anymore. I haven't shot film in 10 years.

  5. The Following 2 Users say 'Aye' to Bjørn For This Useful Post:


  6. #4
    Join Date
    8th October 12
    Location
    Cornwall, Ontario
    Posts
    1,071
    Mentioned
    1 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    The leopard skin is still worn by many bass drummers, especially in military bands. I looked for photos of the current Toronto Police pipes and drums, but you don't see them in Number 1 dress any more, and indeed often they are only in shirt sleeves.

    The tradition of the leopard skins comes from the British military, and the inclusion of African (colonial) drummers, who first wore the skins. The skins also served a practical purpose - protecting the uniform from rubbing against the bass drum. Today, many bands wear imitation fur, but some regiments continue to wear real tiger (or lion) fur harvested from animals that have died of natural causes. In some bands, the side drummers are also authorized to wear leopard skins.



    Toronto Scottish Pipes and Drums


    48th Highlanders of Canada Pipes and Drums (note there are three drummers wearing skins)



  7. The Following 2 Users say 'Aye' to plaid preacher For This Useful Post:


  8. #5
    Join Date
    18th October 09
    Location
    Orange County California
    Posts
    10,549
    Mentioned
    17 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    I'm going to offer some constructive criticism which I hope will be received in the spirit offered (trying to be helpful).

    I know nowadays pipe bands are somewhat dull affairs with black Glengarries, black jackets, black hose, and often black bag-covers on the pipes.

    In 1912 there was far more colour.

    Not to be taken completely literally, but yet an extremely helpful colour look at dress of that period, is The Scottish Tartans. It was published around 1920 but the illustrations show the Highland Dress of a decade or two earlier, the Edwardian period.

    I just threw together a quick collage of six of the illustrations to function as a sort of Mood Board:



    My suggestions would be:

    1) the doublets could be black, but just as likely were dark blue or dark green. The trim on the doublets (which is called "lace" in British military jargon, and "braid" in the USA) would probably be metallic gold, or silver. Sometimes doublets were made with matching lace, black-on-black, blue-on-blue, or green-on-green.

    2) the shoes would be black.

    3) the kilts, plaids, and hose would all be matching tartan. The tartan would probably be one of the common Clan or military tartans.

    4) the plaid brooches would be silver with an amber Cairngorm stone.

    5) the waistbelts and crossbelts would be plain black leather with silver fitments.

    6) the Glengarries would be dark blue regardless of the doublet colour.

    7) the bagpipes would be extremely dark brown, or black, wood. Some pipes would be fully mounted in ivory, some half silver and half ivory. The bag-covers would probably be matching tartan to the kilts, plaids, and hose.
    Last edited by OC Richard; 18th October 21 at 04:02 PM.
    Proud Mountaineer from the Highlands of West Virginia; son of the Revolution and Civil War; first Europeans on the Guyandotte

  9. The Following User Says 'Aye' to OC Richard For This Useful Post:


  10. #6
    Join Date
    20th May 20
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    24
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Thanks for the breakdown of all of that. I'll keep that in mind if I ever choose to manually colour a photo like this.
    These were the colours chosen by the AI software. I believe it uses grey scale value to surmise what the probable Colour was. It's far from perfect at this time but the technology is fascinating.

  11. #7
    Join Date
    20th May 20
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    24
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by plaid preacher View Post
    The leopard skin is still worn by many bass drummers, especially in military bands. I looked for photos of the current Toronto Police pipes and drums, but you don't see them in Number 1 dress any more, and indeed often they are only in shirt sleeves.

    The tradition of the leopard skins comes from the British military, and the inclusion of African (colonial) drummers, who first wore the skins. The skins also served a practical purpose - protecting the uniform from rubbing against the bass drum. Today, many bands wear imitation fur, but some regiments continue to wear real tiger (or lion) fur harvested from animals that have died of natural causes. In some bands, the side drummers are also authorized to wear leopard skins.



    Toronto Scottish Pipes and Drums


    48th Highlanders of Canada Pipes and Drums (note there are three drummers wearing skins)


    That's fantastic. I didn't think that would carry into the modern age with modern sensibilities.

  12. #8
    Join Date
    8th October 12
    Location
    Cornwall, Ontario
    Posts
    1,071
    Mentioned
    1 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quote Originally Posted by Bjørn View Post
    That's fantastic. I didn't think that would carry into the modern age with modern sensibilities.
    In the military, traditions die hard.

  13. The Following User Says 'Aye' to plaid preacher For This Useful Post:


Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

» Log in

User Name:

Password:

Not a member yet?
Register Now!
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v4.2.0