S05E28 The Cottingley Fairies

About this episode

The episode discusses the Cottingley Fairies, a famous photographic hoax involving two young cousins and the adults who exploited their images.

Blake and Karen are joined by Matt Baxter to discuss the strange case of the Cottingley Fairies. https://www.monstertalk.org/?p=2706 Hosts: Karen Stollznow, Blake Smith Guest: Matt Baxter In this episode, the MonsterTalk crew tackles one of the most famous photographic hoaxes in history - the Cottingley Fairies. In 1917, two young cousins in West Yorkshire produced five photographs that appeared to show real fairies dancing in the garden behind their home. What began as a bit of childhood mischief spiraled into a worldwide sensation when https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Conan_Doyle and the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theosophical_Society championed the images as proof of the supernatural. The team explores how layers of credibility - authentic negatives, expert validation, retouched reproductions, and celebrity endorsement - created a blueprint for how misinformation gains legitimacy. More than a debunking, this is a story about two girls swept up in forces far beyond their control, and the adults who used them. 🧚 The Five Photographs1. Frances and the Dancing Fairies (July 1917) - The iconic first image. Frances gazes past four dancing fairies, one playing a pipe. 2…

People in this episode

Hosts: Blake Smith, Karen Stollznow

Guest: Matt Baxter

Topics covered

• photographic hoaxes
• supernatural
• misinformation
• fairies
• historical events

Keywords

• Cottingley Fairies
• photographic hoax
• Arthur Conan Doyle
• Theosophical Society
• supernatural

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Arthur Conan Doyle, Theosophical Society

Places: West Yorkshire

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