Pictures folder missing from Home folder - did Photos delete it?

[T Coma]

So I've been slowly migrating data from my 2011 iMac to the new MBP. My Photos library is more than a third of the 1 TB drive on the iMac, so I copied it to an external SSD and I've been using it on the MBP this way at least until I can pare it down somewhat. However, I've been having to switch from the default Photos library to the external one every time I use it.

I changed the default location for the library via the Photos preferences, and that process seemed to have entirely deleted the default photos library on the MBP -- and apparently the entire Pictures folder too.

It's not in the recycle bin, and it's not on the Time Machine drive. Am I incorrectly assuming there was a "Pictures" folder in the "Home" folder to begin with? Here are the default folders I mean; screenshot from High Sierra on the iMac:

When I look in the home folder on the MBP though, the pictures folder is not there.

The folder does not exist on the external drive either. The odd thing is that it also does not exist on the Time Machine backups. I think it was there, and I think I used it for other storage as well. Or perhaps I'm just losing my mind; I have been bouncing back and forth among all the devices in this house lately.

Is there someway to find that apparently missing folder?

 

[0128672]

I'm curious whether you tried searching for it using Spotlight.

 

[NoBoMac]

Does it show in Terminal ls ~/Pictures? Might have the hidden flag turned on. chflags -R nohidden ~/Picutures

Once a Time Machine backup is made of something, it'll be there (if you go back far enough) no matter what what you do to current file/folder. Would take some deliberate effort by a user to "lose" the backup, and what was done in this case, should never touch the TM backups.

 

[DeltaMac]

If you open Photos - do you see your pictures?
open Photos preferences (in the Photos menu)
The top item in the General tab shows you the location of the Photos library file.
What does that show?

 

[T Coma]

I'm curious whether you tried searching for it using Spotlight.

Actually, no.

I looked where it was supposed to be, and it wasn't there. BUT... as your signature says, "When in doubt, reboot."

I looked again. It's there.

🥴

 

[T Coma]

If you open Photos - do you see your pictures?
open Photos preferences (in the Photos menu)
The top item in the General tab shows you the location of the Photos library file.
What does that show?

I changed the default library location to the external SSD, which is what it shows in the preferences. It is the library I brought over from the iMac. The MBP had started its own, which was hiding, but is now back in sight.

 

[0128672]

Actually, no.

I looked where it was supposed to be, and it wasn't there. BUT... as your signature says, "When in doubt, reboot."

I looked again. It's there.

🥴

Yay! What a relief, eh?