Picture of old fiddler

Subject: Picture of old fiddler
From: Metalbasher
Date: 25 Dec 07 - 01:25 PM

Hi everybody & Happy Christmas & New Year to you!

Some friends of ours in Canada have a lovely picture of an old fiddler painted by one Bill Adams in about 1983, from an original in a magazine. We'd love to know who's picture it is. Is it possible to insert a picture in a post in the hope that someone might recognise him? If so, how can it be done and how big (or rather small) should the picture be, I can resize it as necessary? Or is there a better way of doing this?

Thanks,
Jim

---

Click for photo

Subject: RE: Picture of old fiddler
From: katlaughing
Date: 25 Dec 07 - 01:29 PM

Not in a post, Jim, but you can send it to Joe Offer at [e-mail] and he can put it in the temporary Mudcat pictures at myopera where folks could see it. Hope this helps.

Merry Christmas,

kat

Subject: RE: Picture of old fiddler
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 25 Dec 07 - 04:07 PM

One of the famous "old fiddler" pictures is of Niel Gow: sitting in a chair, wearing tartan trews, middle parting to black hair. Sound anything like the copy you've seen? Can't remember who the original artist was.

Subject: RE: Picture of old fiddler
From: Metalbasher
Date: 25 Dec 07 - 06:46 PM

Thanks Kat, I think that should do the job. Do I then include a link to it in a post?

Thanks for the reply, Tattie Bogle. Bill Adams was a local artist and this wouldn't be a "famous" picture. He just happened to see a photograph in a magazine, liked it and painted a copy, which our friends bought. For all I know, the fiddler himself may be famous.

Jim

Subject: RE: Picture of old fiddler
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 25 Dec 07 - 11:08 PM

Just in case the magazine might have printed the fairly well know Niel Gow painting, the one inquestion might be as shown at The Local Scotsman

(from my notes on mudcat thread Paintings of folk musicians and dancers)

John

Subject: RE: Picture of old fiddler
From: katlaughing
Date: 26 Dec 07 - 12:10 AM

Yep, Metalbasher, you would then put a link in this thread, or Joe might add into your initial posting or one the joe clones (helpful sorts authorised to such:-) If Joe doesn't get back to you in a day or two, send me a PM and I'll PM you with an email addy which you can send it to and I will put it up on the myopera site for you.

I should have given you a link to that site: HERE you go.

All the best,

kat

Subject: RE: Picture of old fiddler
From: Metalbasher
Date: 26 Dec 07 - 05:32 AM

Thanks for the link, John, great picture, though the wrong one and good story. I play "Farewell to Whisky", now I know more about the writer.

Thanks for the info & link, Kat, I've now sent the picture to Joe as you suggested. Just have to see what happens now.

All the best,
Jim

Subject: RE: Picture of old fiddler
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 26 Dec 07 - 06:46 AM

The other thing would be to put it on flickr (which is free basic membership, and no ads or spam), and then give a link to it in a post.

Subject: RE: Picture of old fiddler
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Dec 07 - 04:34 PM

Got the photo posted, Jim.

Click for photo

Subject: RE: Picture of old fiddler
From: Little Robyn
Date: 26 Dec 07 - 04:44 PM

That's definately not Niel Gow!
He's a lovely fellow and looks like he was photographed for something like National Geographic, perhaps in an article on Ireland or Canada.
I hope someone can recognise him - I'd like to know who he is as well.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Picture of old fiddler
From: katlaughing
Date: 26 Dec 07 - 05:01 PM

Wow, what a great artist the painter was and what a great picture. I'd like to know who he is, too! Thanks for sharing, Jim.

Subject: RE: Picture of old fiddler
From: Metalbasher
Date: 26 Dec 07 - 06:06 PM

Thanks very much for posting the photo, Joe. He looks almost as good there as he does back on Vancouver Island! A lovely fellow indeed, Robyn, I'd love to have known him. My pleasure, Kat and thanks for your help.

Jim

Subject: RE: Picture of old fiddler
From: Sorcha
Date: 26 Dec 07 - 06:12 PM

I will SWEAR I've seen the photo...but I don't know where....POSSIBLY in a book of Norn Irish fiddle tunes and interviews.....but I gave it away to somebody. Probably a Mudcatter.......HEEELLLPPPP!

Subject: RE: Picture of old fiddler
From: Stewart
Date: 26 Dec 07 - 06:45 PM

Same as Sorcha, I also swear I've seen him before. He must be in one of my Irish tune books or other Irish music books. But I've looked and so far no luck. I guess it's time to get all these books, etc. together!

Cheers, S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: Picture of old fiddler
From: Sorcha
Date: 26 Dec 07 - 07:13 PM

The book I'm thinking of was large for a tune book...81/2x11. Black and white cover, tagboard or trade paperback. ALL Northern Irish tunes. It was done by 2 men (well, fellas, anyway)travelling through N. Ireland looking for the old fiddlers and musical families.

There were interviews with them and lots of black and white pictures. I'm thinking that one of them also 'wrote/collected' dulcimer tunes in the US. MAYBE Miles Krassen, but not sure. The other 'maybe' would be one of the authors of In Search of the Wild Dulcimer...and it seems that at least one of the fellas had a 'Jewish' name. The book was given to me, and I am sure I gave it or swapped it to someone else most likely here at Mudcat.

Subject: RE: Picture of old fiddler
From: Sorcha
Date: 26 Dec 07 - 07:22 PM

AHA! I found the book I gave away...Click here! It's called The Northern Fiddler, and Allen Feldman was co author. See? Told ya it was a 'Jewish' name! (Bad Sorcha, bad...) Now if we can just figure out WHO I gave the book to so they can look inside it.....

Subject: RE: Picture of old fiddler
From: curmudgeon
Date: 26 Dec 07 - 08:04 PM

A quick google search would lead me to believe that the painting is of traveller/fiddler Johnny Doherty. Further research may prove otherwise - Tom

Subject: RE: Picture of old fiddler
From: Sorcha
Date: 26 Dec 07 - 09:15 PM

If it is, Johnny is a Donegal player and would have been in the book I'm talking about....I've looked at side by side pics...the nose and ears seem the same, but JD seemed to have a more square jaw? Here is one photo and here is another of Johnny Doherty.

Subject: RE: Picture of old fiddler
From: katlaughing
Date: 26 Dec 07 - 11:42 PM

There's a neat one of him HERE. Also, a neat interview of Maireád Ní Mhaonaigh from Altan and her talking about that photo HERE

Subject: RE: Picture of old fiddler
From: Metalbasher
Date: 27 Dec 07 - 01:38 PM

Hmmm, I'm not convinced. I've put Sorcha's second picture of JD side-by-side with "my" fiddler, both in the same pose and even allowing for the difference in age, neither I or Mrs M. think they're the same. The shape of the nose and ears are quite different. The mystery man may have been someone on Vancouver Island or elsewhere in Canada and it's a very large country. He might well have still been around in 1983, when the portrait was painted. He may not have been famous, though he was well enough known to appear in a magazine. Thanks very much everybody for your interest. We're away for a few days and I'll catch up when we get back.

Jim

Subject: RE: Picture of old fiddler
From: Bill D
Date: 16 Mar 10 - 12:27 PM

I ran onto this thread in a roundabout way, and MY curiosity was piqued. The image looks a bit like some I have seen of Eugene O'Donnell...(who played with Mick Moloney)

Anyone agree?