Lady Cottington's Fairy Album

The Cottington Family’s Pressed Fairy Books

by Brian Froud

At last, Lady Angelica Cottington returns, in this mysterious and hilarious sequel to Brian Froud's huge international hit Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book. In this quirky and seductive new volume, 15-year-old Angelica stumbles on an annotated photo album belonging to her long-dead sister, Euphemia. The revelations within tell of fairy enchantments, wanton romance, and bawdy trysts. Angelica responds to the album in true character, and her fits of fairy pressings and squashings instigate terrible (if weirdly entertaining) consequences.

Along with its mysterious tale of Cottington family deviance, this extraordinary artefact offers near-indisputable evidence of the existence of fairies in the form of letters and never-before-published Victorian photographs of actual fairies, authenticated by Brian Froud, the Cottington Archive, and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Fairies. Fairies defiant, fairies au naturel, and, of course, fairies squashed: they're all here. Without doubt, Lady Cottington's Fairy Album will radically alter the study of the fairies' hereto-fore-secret world.

Genres: Fantasy, Art, Humor, Fairies, Fiction, Fairy Tales, Mythology

65 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Brian Froud is an award-winning illustrator, author, and faery authority. His books include the international best-sellers Faeries, Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book, Lady Cottington's Fairy Album, and The Faeries' Oracle. He also served as the conceptual designer on Jim Henson's films The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. Froud lives in Devon, England.
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"I paint the spirit and soul of what I see." - Brian Froud

For over 35 years, Brian Froud has been regarded as the pre-eminent faerie artist in the world and an authority on faeries and faerie lore. His international best-selling book, FAERIES with fantasy and Tolkien illustrator Alan Lee is considered a modern classic. His landmark work with Jim Henson as conceptual designer on feature films THE DARK CRYSTAL, LABYRINTH and other Henson projects set new standards for design, puppeteering and animatronics in film and are considered landmarks in the evolution of modern day special effects and attract an international cult following . With over 8 million books sold to date, Brian's international best sellers include LADY COTTINGTON'S PRESSED FAIRY BOOK, GOOD FAERIES / BAD FAERIES and THE FAERIES' ORACLE and LADY COTTINGTON'S FAIRY ALBUM. Other works with text by Ari Berk include GOBLINS!, RUNES OF ELFLAND, LADY COTTINGTON PRESSED FAIRY LETTERS and BRIAN FROUD'S WORLD OF FAERIE. His latest books are THE HEART OF FAERIE ORACLE, authored by his wife, Wendy and HOW TO SEE FAERIES, with New York Times best-selling author, John Matthews are published by Abrams Books. He and Wendy are now working on their forthcoming book, TROLLS, to be published by Abrams in 2012.

Brian's work has been licensed by numerous licensing companies internationally. His work inspires Faerieworlds and FaerieCon, festival events that attract over 30,000 guests annually. Brian created concept designs for a sequel to THE DARK CRYSTAL, produced by the Jim Henson Company and is developing concept designs for feature film projects now in development. He and Wendy created the story concept for a graphic novel series based on THE DARK CRYSTAL to be published by Archaia Comics in 2011. His work has been featured in exhibitions throughout the world and his paintings reside in many private and public collections. Brian lives in Devon, England with his wife, internationally acclaimed doll maker Wendy Froud.

Reviews

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Way back in 1994 Brian Froud and Terry Jones got together and created Lady Cottington’s Pressed Fairy Book, which was an immediate hit (and a huge bestseller). Their faux-Victorian book of various smashed, crushed, and smooshed fairies was a delight ­ wonderful pictures by Froud and hysterical text by Jones. A Pressed Fairy Journal followed in 1996, and then both went out of print and became scarcer than hen’s teeth. A paperback version of the original book was released in 2001 and it garnered a whole new set of fans. And now, at last, Lady Cottington is back and it’s well worth the wait.

The original book was a lark, with Froud’s hilarious pictures highlighting Jones’s tale of a VERY proper Victorian lady beset by naughty fairies. This book has the same antic artwork, and is undeniably funny in places, but it’s something more, too. The book purports to be a newly discovered photo album by Angelica Cottington’s older sister Euphemia (who is referred to just once, as Effie, in the original book) with later commentary by Angelica. Euphemia’s story and photos unfold on the left side of the book; Angelica’s commentary and fairy victims appear on the right. The two stories come together in a letter at the end which we get to see and which Angelica presumably did not and the effect is surprising and poignant and leads you to think about this book long after it has ended. The funny stuff I expected; the other stuff I didn’t, and the book is much stronger than you might expect because of it.

Froud has pulled off the near impossible: a sequel that not only equals the original, but surpasses it. The packaging is gorgeous, from the textured cover to the beautiful endpapers. The artwork, both the photos and the drawings, is first-rate but the true heart of this book is the story, which manages to amuse and surprise in equal measure

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just wasn't a fan of the big bottomed and oddly posed illustrated faeries that jumped off the page right atcha face. Some of the photo renderings of faeries were well done, but most were too real-ish human-looking. I thought I was looking at photos of someone's sister or cousin. The text didn't draw me in like I thought it would.

Maybe I'm getting too old.

[Velvetea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic~ imaginative beyond all reason. Each page is unique~ Brian Froud's illustrations are unmatched, and the book is an interactive experience besides! It's too adorable for words. .

[Wayne Farmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with the previous books, this is a beautifully presented faux-victorian book with some wonderful pressed fairies stuck between its pages! Mildly humorous story but the artwork is funnier!

[Stevie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a birthday gift 2 years ago. I'm an art lover and I love Brian Frouds work and enjoyed the storyline of the book and the ending intrigued me. It's one of my most treasured books

[Jason Presser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story and the artwork is incredible. Beautiful and funny and irreverent are hard to find together, but thats here!! Again another of my guilty pleasures. This is a book you keep and re-read many, many times...

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very releived to know that no faries were harmed in the making of this album!! Once I quit looking at the illustrations and read the story, I found is very cute and a touch sad.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, not amazing but a fun, quick read. Silly at times with a few laughs but I think it would have been better if I had read the other books as well.

[Tatiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK IS SO SCANDALOUS OMG!!! Hahaha this book came highly recommended because of the inventive illustrations of “pressed fairies”. These are colorful watercolors by Brian Froud that pretend as if fairies had been squished between the pages of the book, leaving an impression on both sides of the paper.

But there’s an actual story in here and at first glance you may find it kinda boring in a stiff-lipped Victorian way, but by the end it is super shocking and worth sticking to!

Without spoiling too much, this is a photo album/diary written by two sisters. The older one began taking pictures of "fairies", which she also wrote about, but unfortunately died shortly after finishing the diary. Her younger sister finds the diary and begins reading it, adding notes of her own, and squishing fairies while she's in the process. It sounds very dull and tidy that way but the ending is quite interesting!

By the way, in case you're planning to read this in public or would like to gift this to a child and are sensitive about this kind of stuff, the fairies in the watercolors are mostly nude and in include the occasional fully-exposed rear-end or breast.

Loved it and highly recommend it!

[Destarte · Rating 5 out of 5]

In one sitting I read Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book & then this one. The artwork is whimsical & humorous, although I don't recommend it for those who have a problem with nudity. As I stated in my review of Pressed Fairy, do a search for Lady Cottington to pull up the illustrations so you'll know what you're getting into. The story was captivating, although I unfortunately figured out the ending halfway through. These books are renditions of an old diary & the texture of the hardback copy is undeniably amazing. I may just end up getting all these books!

[Nicole Magolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books are so darn beautiful and a tad sadistic and I'm obsessed with them.

I can't believe I found this at a secondhand book fair! And at a different book fair than the last one I went to, where I found the first book from this series. It's like fate, or something.

[Francine · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a twist! I didn't expect to get drawn into it so. Not a super big fan of the pressed fairies themselves, but I do love the story.

[SG · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this years ago, when I was a little girl. It was an absolute delight.

[Elena Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cant believe this book is already 20years old.

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very cute book written as a journal of "pressed faeries."

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*

[David Edmonds · Rating 4 out of 5]

What started out as what I assume to be a bit of comic relief, Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book, and its subsequent volumes, turned into something of its own fairy tale. Through each volume, we gain a little more insight into the world of Angelica Cottington, who masters the art of pressing fairies in her books, to preserve them and show the world the truth. I give each book 4 stars, but really, the second book is what brings the three volumes together as something more than whimsy.

The first book, Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book, I'm quite sure was meant nothing more than a bit of humor. We follow the adventures of Lady Cottington as a small girl as she begins to notice the fairies around her and as she discovers the pressing technique to preserve them in her books. In Lady Cottington's Fairy Album we learn a little more of Lady Cottington's heritage, and this is where I think the series, while still deep in it's whimsical foundations, takes a turn for the more "serious." With Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Letters, we are presented with letters from the likes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Rasputin, Houdini, Helen Keller and more, as Lady Cottington continues her journey of discovery.

The artwork throughout remains consistently humorous, with each fairy pressing more ridiculous than the last. A truly unique reading experience.

[Nati Ferrino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro es como una cucharadita de miel al alma. Es el segundo tomo de la tetralogía de la historia de Lady Cottington. No sé si decir que es una tetralogía realmente. No estoy segura de que al hacerse cada libro, se haya pensado en que iba a haber uno siguiente. La historia podría haber sido solo el primer libro, o terminar en cualquiera de ellos.
Pero este maravilloso álbum combina la personalidad tan particular de Angélica Cottington con su pariente, Euphemia Cottington, que fotografiaba hadas, con una dulzura en su forma de verlas y hablar de ellas que cautiva.
Siguen estando presentes las ilustraciones de Brian Froud de esas hadas aplastadas entre las páginas haciendo muecas y poses divertidas, esta vez combinadas con unas fotos "antiguas" de hadas, muy bonitas, que a pesar de estar hechas con photoshop hace más de un par de décadas, no se ven toscas como otras imágenes que se hacían en la misma época (y después) de supuestas fotos de hadas en otros libros. Tienen un estilo muy delicado y suave, y bastante creible, para quien tiene ganas de soñar un rato.
"Creo que las gotas de lluvia son más bonitas que los diamantes" Casi me parece escuchar la dulce voz de Euphemia diciendo esas palabras.

[Helena · Rating 3 out of 5]

My eight year old daughter received this book as a gift recently and I was flipping through the gorgeous drawings and noticed that some of the fairies within were nude. After seeing that I thought I'd better read this before my daughter does.


Spoiler:

I don't think this book is appropriate for an eight year old. It's clever and pretty and oh so appealing to a little girl, but it deals with a very adult situation. Cleverly, very cheekily, but an adult situation nonetheless. Having said that, I don't know if an eight year old would really catch on to what happens (nutshell: young girl is naughty, gets knocked up, goes away with her mom for a while and comes back with a miraculous new baby 'sister' which is all revealed in the end). I imagine the eight year old may have some uncomfortable questions after reading this and if you're prepared to answer them? Well, then this book'll do fine.



I found the ending quite sad. Plus there's all that violence towards fairies- but on the plus side- really beautiful artwork, cool photos, and it's quite well written. A unique little book overall.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good companion to Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book. The story started out slow, but picked up and had a great ending. It took me awhile to realize that one side were of Euphemia's entries and not Angelica's (Euphemia is Angelica's sister--the Lady Cottington). The artwork is similar to the Pressed Fairy Book with the addition of Euphemia's photographs--and nothing in comparison to some of Brian Froud's other works.

[Misty Phelan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story about faeries. I would say that it isn't really child appropriate depending. There is a fair bit of nudity in the artwork. The story is very well written and the whole package is nicely displayed.

[Dami (Damiellar) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pressed fairy book always appealed to me (I even remember the bookstore I was in the first time I saw it) so this was a natural follow on. The underlying storyline isn't childish in the least but at the time I couldn't tell.

[Iroquois · Rating 1 out of 5]

got it through ILL. wasn't worth the trouble :(

[Jaeyde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, pretty watercolors of smashed fairies with a ridiculous story to go along with them.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

*claps hands*

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was a fantastic book. i loved the creativity it involved.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the idea of this book, even if the "reading" of it was not exactly enveloping.

[Faefae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brian Froud is one of the best artist out there.....I could never get tired of looking at his creations♥

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful artwork and funny story. Lovely read

[J9 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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