{"podcast":{"title":"MonsterTalk","slug":"monstertalk-162017","podcast_index_feed_id":162017,"rss_url":"https://www.spreaker.com/show/6267523/episodes/feed","website_url":"https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523","image_url":"https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/7698c27b5af520e6dca580217c19bd71.jpg","author":"Monster House LLC","episode_count":503,"summary":"MonsterTalk: The Science Show About Monsters is a free audio podcast that critically examines the science behind cryptozoological (and legendary) creatures, such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, or werewolves. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/monstertalk--6267523/support .","last_synced_at":"2026-07-20T08:19:22.443337+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/monstertalk-162017"},"episode":{"title":"S05E28 The Cottingley Fairies","slug":"s05e28-the-cottingley-fairies","published_at":"2026-04-27T03:55:02+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/monstertalk-162017/s05e28-the-cottingley-fairies","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/monstertalk-162017","url":"https://www.monstertalk.org/s05e28-the-cottingley-fairies/","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/71534108/s05e28_monstertalk.mp3","summary":"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. Elsie and the Gnome (September 1917) - Elsie reaches toward a gnome who looks suspiciously like Rowan Atkinson. 3. Frances and the Leaping Fairy (August 1920) - Taken with the new Cameo cameras and marked plates provided by Gardner. 4. A Fairy Offering a Posy of Harebells to Elsie (August 1920) - Featuring a fairy with a very fashionable 1920s bob haircut. 5. Fairies and Their Sun Bath (August 1920) - The most blurred and \"ethereal\" looking image. Frances maintained to her death that this one was genuine. Matt suspects the camera simply wasn't stable. 🔍 The Story in BriefIn the summer of 1917, cousi…","meta_description":"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 Stollzno…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":4207,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/monstertalk-162017/episodes/s05e28-the-cottingley-fairies/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/monstertalk-162017/s05e28-the-cottingley-fairies.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}