03/10/2026
Mr Parlanchin's Book of the Month: October 2026
This month, the inimitable Mr Parlanchin recommends two books written about the controversial case of the Cottingley Fairies (& a passing gnome!) photographs of 1917 & 1920, taken by two young girls by a stream at the bottom of their garden in the village of Cottingley, West Yorkshire.
Today, the Cottingley photographs would be dismissed as 'fake news', generated by AI, but there's an enduring charm, and innocence to the girls story which needs to be considered in the context of the time the two girls claimed to have seen fairies (& a gnome) playing in a stream.
That context was World War One (& its aftermath), and the girls charming tale tapped into the spiritual zeitgeist of the time, when millions of families around the world were mourning the loss of loved ones.
Both featured books are first editions (1922 & 1945), and deal with the Cottingley case in a serious and thoughtful way. Conan-Doyle (1859- 1930), the celebrated creator of fictional, pipe-smoking, Baker Street sleuth, Sherlock Holmes, was criticised by his peers for believing in this fantastical tale of fairies (& a passing gnome), but published his book nonetheless.
Please contact Mr Parlanchin by telephone, telegram or new-fangled electronic mail to arrange a viewing of one, or both books...
