Reflections On The Cottingley Fairies

I am sure many of you are familiar with the remarkable tale of the Cottingley Fairies, and the photographs taken by two young cousins which caused such a storm the early 20th century. Now we can read Frances Griffith’s own account of these events in ‘Reflections on the Cottingley Fairies‘. Frances’ memoirs recall her initial encounters with the real Fairies of Cottingley Beck, and the subsequent creation of the photographs as a way to prove these encounters. Sadly, it is clear from reading that Frances was horrified at how the deception escalated, and was haunted for the rest of her life despite her best efforts to put the whole episode behind her and lead a normal life.
Obviously for anyone interested in Fairy lore it makes fascinating reading, particularly the details of the actual sightings – the ‘Little Men’ whom she saw on many occasions and of the ‘Pretty’ Fairies who could only sometimes be seen. Frances is sometimes frustratingly vague about details, and frequently goes off on tangents (although these do prove interesting glimpses into the social history of the era), but this is easily forgiven when you remember she was writing many years after the actual events. Where possible her daughter Christine Lynch has provided additional details to fill in the gaps and continued the story from where Frances left off. There is also a good collection of photographs reprinted in the book, including The Fairy Bower – the only photo said to be of the real Fairies. Above all, Frances considered the Fairies to be just another part of nature, and her memoirs offer significant insight to this enduring story.

Reflections on the Cottingley Fairies is available to buy here.

Filed under Books & Magazines | Comment (0)