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Tenor drone top joint for a set of Lowland bagpipes, bellows-blown

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Scottish, early 19th century

Tenor drone top joint for a set of Lowland bagpipes, bellows-blown
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Tenor drone top joint for a set of Lowland Scottish bagpipes, early 19th century, bellows-blown with three drones set in a common stock and made of African blackwood or ebony and ivory mounted. The drones are tuned as in the Highland bagpipe. The style of turning and finish on this set is moving away significantly from the traditional style with drone body surface devoid of decoration and rounded cup-shaped drone tops, and is becoming assimilated to the late 18th and 19th century Highland bagpipe-making styles. Formerly stock of J. and R. Glen, Edinburgh, or from the collection of the firm's proprietors.

John and Robert Glen were the proprietors of a bagpipe-making and musical instrument repair business in Edinburgh in the late 19th century. The business was founded in 1827 in the Cowgate, moving later to North Bank Street, Edinburgh, by their father, Thomas McBean Glen (1804-1873), who in 1833 described himself in the business directories of the city as 'pipe and flute maker'. His sons, John (1833-1904) and Robert (1835-1911), took over the business in 1866. In 1911, the premises moved to 497 Lawnmarket where it survived as 'J & R Glen, Highland Bagpipe Makers' until 1978.

This piece comes from the Glen and Ross Collection of musical instruments which were preserved in the shop of 'J & R Glen, Highland Bagpipe Makers' until it closed about 1978. This was the business founded in 1827 by Thomas McBean Glen in the Cowgate in Edinburgh, dealing in and repairing musical instruments. His brother, Alexander Glen, specialized in bagpipe-making and was succeeded by his son David. Thomas' sons, John and Robert Glen, succeeding to the business in 1866, probably did most to collect instruments and their antiquarian interests were carried on by Andrew Ross who acquired the business from the Glens in 1947. The National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland purchased the bagpipe collections from the family in 1983.

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