I backed up my iPhoto onto an external drive and something happened to the file...help me please!!

I recently needed to re-install lion on my Macbook Air and neede to backup my iphoto library. To do this I copied the iphoto icon found in the pictures folder and pasted it onto my external hard drive. As I understand it, i should only find a single file (iphoto libarary) on my external hard drive. However, it seems that the file was split into a bunch of folders (as shown below):
the two iphoto icons you see in the folder I tiny...while my picture libary was a rather massive file. I don't understand what happened! The worst thing is that I cleared my computer before checking this file so this is all I have left of my old iphoto library. Does anybody know how to fix the problem or at least can explain me the problem so I don't do this in the future. Thanks for your help!!!

What is the format of your external hard drive? It should be formatted for OS X Extended (journaled). It appears that the format does not support the Unix package and has removed the package leaving only the contents.
If that's the only copy of the library that you have you can try creating a folder in the Pictures folder of your Mac Air titled iPhoto Library. Then drag all of the items on the EHD into it. Launch iPhoto with the Option key depressed and select that library to top. Hopefully all necessary files will be there and you'll have the library back.
If that doesn't work create a new, empty library and import the Masters folder into it. That will give you the same Events that you had previously but none of the edited versions, albums, books, etc.
OT

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