IPhoto library completely disappeared from Lacie drive

Hi
I would be so grateful if anyone could help me.
My mac was backed up to an external hard drive (Lacie) then wiped. Within the back-up was iPhoto containing pictures from 2008 to 2013. They are my only copy and none have ever been printed out.
My daughter was making a movie for prom so I connected up the drive to get her some photos and videos. Indeed it was always my plan, that when she leaves for uni I would spend a year making albums of all of the pictures that no one has ever seen.
I went into time machine back up, latest and older copies, and there is no reference to iPhoto whatsoever. Many of the answers on line refer to empty iPhoto libraries. Mine is just not there, no reference to it at all. The back up is showing about 180 gb so the iPhoto library is not within this back up anymore as the library is much bigger.
I cannot understand what has happened.
I have googled every possible way of asking the question but i cannot find anyone whose iPhoto library has disappeared without reference to it.
Please help me
Thank you

What system and iPhoto versions are you using?  Do you keep your MBP on all the time and iPhoto open? I
Do you have Time Machine enabled even when the EHD is not mounted?  If so you may have "local" backups on your MBP that might have the library.  See this site for more info: What are Local Snapshots?

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