The Cottingley Fairy Photographs: New Approaches to Fairies, Fakes, and Folklore
Pwca Books and Pamphlets
(2024)
The Cottingley Fairy Photographs: New Approaches to Fairies, Fakes, and Folklore offers a groundbreaking series of studies of one of the 20th century’s most bizarre episodes—the taking of five photographs of fairies at Cottingley Brook in West Yorkshire. With a blend of cultural, historical, and supernatural elements, scholars from six nations, examine, over fifteen essays, the impact of the photographs. Key topics include the influence of theosophy, clairvoyance, and media on fairylore and folklore. Contributors explore the social and technological landscapes of the time, providing fresh perspectives on the enduring fascination with the Cottingley fairies and examine how two young girls could captivate the world with a simple hoax. This collection will be welcome reading for scholars, enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the intersection of myth and media in modern culture and of course by anyone intrigued by fairies.


Includes contributions from John Clark, Simon Young, Neil Rushton, Chris Woodyard, Fiona Maher, Francesca Bihet, Kaori Inuma, Morgan Daimler, Ethan Doyle White, Marguerite Johnson, Shiho Hamano, Meri Dickson, Joshua Cutchin, Dan Green, and Kate Ray
