Fifer Collection

British soldiers on the Western Front, northern France, First World War, 1916, (c1920). After the Capture of Lesboeufs: British troops returning, headed by their fifes and drums

Confederate Reunion - Fife And Drum Corps, 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Confederate Reunion - Fife And Drum Corps
Confederate Reunion - Fife And Drum Corps, 1917. Old soldiers in Washington, DC

Trumpetfish (Aulostomus maculatus) using a Spanish Hogfish (Bodianus rufus) as a stalking horse. Spanish Hogfish is eating an arm of a starfish. Bonaire, Leeward Antilles, Caribbean

The Fifer and His Friend, 1870-80 (oil on canvas)
3108884 The Fifer and His Friend, 1870-80 (oil on canvas) by Johnson, Eastman (1824-1906); 51x41 cm; Shelburne Museum, Vermont, USA; (add.info.: Depicts two fellows sitting next to a fireplace)

The Piper
An oil painting famously entitled The Piper or The Fifer, showing a young boy playing his instrument. Date: circa 1930

Wooden Fife, c. 1936. Creator: Edward L Loper
Wooden Fife, c. 1936

Sepoy drums and fifers, 1800 circa (w / c)
5920267 Sepoy drums and fifers, 1800 circa (w/c) by Unknown Artist, (19th century); National Army Museum, London; (add.info.: Sepoy drums and fifers, 1800 circa)

Grenadier drummer and fifer, 1779 (coloured engraving)
2975472 Grenadier drummer and fifer, 1779 (coloured engraving) by English School, (18th century); National Army Museum, London; (add.info)

Boy Playing a Fife, 1638 (carved wood)
XJF441270 Boy Playing a Fife, 1638 (carved wood) by English School, (17th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The elaborately carved staircase at Cromwell House in Highgate, North London)

The Drummer and the Fifer (engraving)
3646738 The Drummer and the Fifer (engraving) by Strauch, Lorenz (1554-1630); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Drummer and the Fifer)

The French in Tonquin, an Arab Soldier on the March, the Fifer (engraving)
1622363 The French in Tonquin, an Arab Soldier on the March, the Fifer (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The French in Tonquin)

The Fifers, 1881 (oil on board)
NUL384720 The Fifers, 1881 (oil on board) by Johnson, Eastman (1824-1906); 67x56.5 cm; Private Collection; American, out of copyright

Fife, from the Musical Instruments series (N82) for Duke brand cigarettes, 1888. 1888
Fife, from the Musical Instruments series (N82) for Duke brand cigarettes, 1888

The Piper, 1866, (1937). Creator: Edouard Manet
The Piper, 1866, (1937). Painting, also known as Le fifre, (The Fifer), in the Musee d Orsay, Paris. From " The Impressionists" by Wilhelm Uhde

France, 1756. Artist: William Hogarth
France, 1756; a scene outside the Duke of Cumberland inn, in England. To the left a grenadier is painting a caricature of the King of France to the amusement of his companions

The Womens Social and Political Union fife and drum band out for the first time, 13 May 1909. On 13 May the Womens Social and Political Union (WSPU)

Cents-Suisses, Fifer, 1814-17 Artist: Eugene Titeux
Cents-Suisses, Fifer, 1814-17. Histoire de la Maison Militaire du Roi de 1814-1830, volume 1

Fifer, 1866. Artist: Edouard Manet
Fifer, 1866. Located in the collection at Musee d Orsay, Paris

The Ancient English Musket & Halbert Exercise, Plate 3. 1794

CIVIL WAR SONGSHEET, 1862. Yankee Volunteers Marching Into Dixie : lithograph sheet music cover published at Boston, Massachusetts, in 1862

Grenadier Drummer and Fifer
Grenadier drummer and fifer.One of four coloured engravings published by Bewles and Calwer, 1779. Date: 1779

YANKEE DOODLE, 1776. Yankee Doodle, 1776. Lithograph by Archibald Willard, c1876

MINUTEMEN: HEROES OF 1776. Heroes of 76, Marching to the Fight. Lithograph
MINUTEMEN: HEROES OF 1776. Heroes of " 76, " Marching to the Fight. Lithograph, 1876, by Currier & Ives commemorating the centennial of the beginning of the American Revolutionary War

Lithograph after Archibald M. Willard
THE SPIRIT OF 76. Lithograph after Archibald M. Willard

CIVIL WAR: RECRUITMENT, 1861. Drumming up recruits for the Confederate army at Montgomery, Alabama. Wood engraving from an American newspaper of June 1861

ZOUAVES MARCHING, 1861. The 5th Regiment of New York Zouaves marching up Broadway, New York City, prior to embarking for the South, 23 May 1861. Wood engraving from a contemporary English newspaper

Fife player, 1598
A man playing the fife, viewed from behind

Military musicians - fife and drum
A fife and drum player. Date: 1555

Military music - Fife and Drum(4 of 8)
A fifer and a drummer from the time of Francis I of France

MANET: THE FIFER. (Le fifre). Oil on canvas, 1866, By Edouard Manet

SUDAN: FIFE PLAYER, c1910. Silhouette of a fife player in Sudan. Photograph, c1910

EVRV2D-00101
British fife and drum corps takes the field in a reenactment of the surrender at Yorktown Battlefield, Virginia. Digital photograph of a National Park Service event on the actual field of surrender

EVRV2D-00100
British fife and drum corps takes the field in a reenactment of the surrender at Yorktown Battlefield, Virginia. Digital photograph of a National Park Service event on the actual field of surrender

EVRV2D-00098
British fife and drum corps takes the field in a reenactment of the surrender at Yorktown Battlefield, Virginia. Digital photograph of a National Park Service event on the actual field of surrender

EVRV2D-00099
British fife and drum corps takes the field in a reenactment of the surrender at Yorktown Battlefield, Virginia. Digital photograph of a National Park Service event on the actual field of surrender

EVRV2D-00153
Loyalist colonials marching in a reenactment on the Yorktown battlefield, Virginia. Digital photograph of a National Park Service event at Yorktown Battlefield on the 225th anniversary of

EVRV2D-00152
British fife and drum corps marching in a reenactment at Yorktown battlefield, Virginia. Digital photograph of a National Park Service event at Yorktown Battlefield on the 225th anniversary of

EVRV2D-00151
British fifers marching in a reenactment on the Yorktown battlefield, Virginia. Digital photograph of a National Park Service event at Yorktown Battlefield on the 225th anniversary of the surrender

British soldiers in a colonial town
British redcoats in an American colonial city before the Revolutionary War. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century Howard Pyle illustration

GAFR2A-00045
British administrator of Gambia meeting with a native chief, 1889. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th century illustration

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"The Fifer: A Melodic Symbol of Courage and Camaraderie in the Trenches" In the midst of the brutal horrors that engulfed British soldiers on the Western Front in northern France during the First World War in 1916, a remarkable figure emerged - The Fifer. Clutching his trusty wooden fife, this brave soldier played tunes that echoed through the trenches, bringing solace to weary hearts and momentarily transporting them away from the grim reality. But who was this piper? Was he inspired by "The Piper, " an enchanting underwater spectacle where a Trumpetfish cleverly uses a Spanish Hogfish as its companion? Or perhaps he drew inspiration from "The Fifer and His Friend, " an oil painting capturing a timeless bond between two friends? Regardless of his muse, The Fifer's music resonated with all who heard it. It evoked memories of ancient English musket drills and halbert exercises, reminding soldiers of their training days before they were thrust into battle. Even Sepoy drums and fifers from centuries past seemed to join him in harmony. As time went on, The Fifer became more than just a musician; he symbolized resilience amidst chaos. Just like Grenadier drummers depicted in colored engravings or even Boy Playing a Fife carved out of wood back in 1638, he embodied unwavering determination. Soldiers would gather around him for moments of respite, recreating scenes captured by aquatints or sepia-toned prints from c. 1798. In those fleeting instances when melodies filled the air, camaraderie flourished among men bound together by shared experiences. Even beyond war-torn fields, The Fifer left an indelible mark on history. From engraved depictions showcasing French soldiers marching through Tonquin to Arab warriors forging ahead with their musical comrade-in-arms – his legacy transcended borders.