Toronto police pipe band- 1912

[Bjørn]

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.
That chap in the middle would get quite the fine under the endangered species act if he was around wearing that these days!

[Recon1342]

That’s pretty cool.

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

[Bjørn]

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.

[plaid preacher]

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)

[OC Richard]

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.

[Bjørn]

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.

[Bjørn]

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.

[plaid preacher]

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

In the military, traditions die hard.