Sleepy History - Cicely Mary Barker

Episode Date: April 20, 2025

Cicely Mary Barker—an artist whose delicate brushstrokes brought the magic of nature to life. Best known for her enchanting Flower Fairies, she blended botanical beauty with whimsical charm, captivating hearts young and old. But who was the woman behind these timeless illustrations, and what inspired her gentle, imaginative world? Tonight, step into Cicely Mary Barker’s life and art, as her story blossoms around you, guiding you into a peaceful sleep.Narrated by: Chloe de BurghWritten by: Jo SteerAbout Sleepy History Delve into history's most intriguing stories, people, places, events, and mysteries, delivered in a supremely calming atmosphere. If you struggle to fall asleep and you have a curious mind, Sleepy History is the perfect bedtime companion. Our stories will gently grasp your attention, pulling your mind away from any racing thoughts, making room for the soothing music and calming narration to guide you into a peaceful sleep. Want to enjoy Sleepy History ad-free? Start your 7-day free trial of Sleepy History Premium: https://sleepyhistory.supercast.com/Have feedback or an episode request? Let us know at: slumberstudios.com/contactSleepy History is a production of Slumber Studios. To learn more, visit www.slumberstudios.com.

This is Sleepy History. Sleepy History is a production of Slumber Studios. To listen ad-free, get access to bonus episodes, and support the ongoing production of this show, Check out our premium feed. This is the Sleepy History of Cicely Mary Barker, narrated by Chloe de Burgh, written by Joe Steer. Dear Do you believe in fairies? This is a question asked by countless generations of children. And many of these children, perhaps even you, first imagined what a fairy might look like based on the artwork of the English illustrator, Cicely Mary Barker.

Her Flower Fairies books depicting childlike woodland sprites brought joy to post-war England. They've since been translated into more than 20 languages and sold more than 7 million copies in just the last decade, let alone the last hundred years. So just relax and let your mind drift as we explore the sleepy history of Sicily Mary Barker. It's 1912, near London, England, and Britain is in its post-war Victorian era. King George V sits on the throne, the King is reeling from the news of a disaster out at sea. A luxury British cruise liner, said to be unsinkable, has gone down in the Atlantic with over 1,600 people on board.

As the British public deal with the aftermath of Titanic sinking, a family in Croydon have their own heartbreak to manage. Mary Barker has lost her husband, and her two daughters have lost a father. Now, the artist who'd most inspired her. She'd take what he taught her to find success as an illustrator, creating the famed Flower Fairies amongst her countless achievements. Barker's story is one of hope and beauty. She brought magic to a world that had been devastated by war. world that had been devastated by war.

And to understand her life and work, we must start at the beginning. She was born in West Croydon, south of London, on the 28th of June, 1895. Her parents were Walter Barker, a skilled artist and woodcarver, and Mary Eleanor Oswald, who later went by Barker as well. Barker as well. The couple had married in 1882, when Mary Eleanor was 23 years old. They had two daughters, with two years between them. Dorothy was the oldest, and Cicely the youngest. We might say that the Barkers were upper-middle class. They certainly lived comfortably by the standards of the time. The family employed a nanny to take care of the children, as well as a cook to prepare their meals.

The Barkers were very protective of their youngest daughter, Cicely, who suffered with epilepsy throughout her childhood. She was deemed too frail to attend school, and so a governess was employed to educate her at home. As such, she spent a great deal of her childhood engaged in solitary pursuits her childhood engaged in solitary pursuits that excited her imagination. When she wasn't being tutored, she was in bed reading or looking through the books in her nursery library. As one might expect for the daughter of an artist, the bookshelves were well stocked with the works of great illustrators. This included the works of notable British figures like Kate Greenway, an illustrator from London, whose poetry and picture books were very popular amongst children.

Books typically contained images of sweet-faced children dressed in the regency-era clothing of the late 18th century. Girls were dressed in pinafores and straw bonnets. Boys wore long smocks or dungaree-like skeleton suits. Children were pictured out in nature, chatting around a campfire, reading outside on a bench, and sampling fruits picked fresh from a tree. Greenway's artwork depicted an ideal of childhood that later would be echoed in Barker's own pieces. The same might be said of another artist, Randolph Caldecott from Chester in Northern England.

His works were the forerunner to the modern picture book, showcasing pages full of colorful paintings with brown-lined sketches interspersed between them. His style was well-suited to the nursery rhymes he published, like The House That Jack Built and The Babes in the Wood. The Babes in the Wood. Lively illustrations made for engaging storybooks, moving the narrative along and helping young readers to understand the plot. Children and animals were often captured in movement, in a style that might be described as whimsical, even comical. Later, Barker would demonstrate this same playfulness of style,

painting characters that appeared to have been captured in motion. Clearly, such books were a source of inspiration to Barga, who had been drawing from early childhood. But still, it might all have come to nothing without the encouragement of her beloved father. As well as paying for a governess to provide home tuition, he funded a correspondence course for Sicily in Arn. Essentially, it was a form of 19th century distance learning, also known as learning by post. A tutor would send instructions, and Cicely would respond with her artwork, which the tutor would then critique, offering much-needed feedback.

Constructive criticism was key to her development, and she'd continue with the course until 1919. Equally useful was an evening class she'd been taking at the local art school, the Croydon Art Society. Her father had her registered in 1908 when she was 13 years old. It's clear that Walter Barker was very proud of Sicily, or Siskin as he was known to affectionately call her. Father and daughter had much in common. They even had their work showcased together at the same exhibition by the Croydon Art Society. Walter was so convinced of his daughter's talent that he took it into London to Raphael Tuck and Sons. The printer bought four images to go on the front of greeting cards, meaning that in 1910,

at the age of 15, Cicely Mary Barker had made her first sale. A year after that, in 1911, she won second prize in a poster competition run by the Croydon Art Society. The following year, they elected her as a life member, making her the youngest ever person to receive such an honor. This is testament to the talent that she displayed, something that was apparent to more than her father. One art critic noted, she has distinct promise, and her drawings show a remarkable freedom of spirit. It's an interesting turn of phrase to describe a girl who had spent much of her childhood being confined indoors.

Though, perhaps, it's because of such physical confinement that her imagination grew so free and boundless. But then, in 1912, the year she was honored by the Art Society, her beloved father passed away. passed away. Cicely had lost her biggest cheerleader, the man who'd supported her at every turn. The family had lost a husband and father, as well as the breadwinner, who'd supported them financially. We should remember that in the early 20th century, things were very different from how they are today. Women, in general, were dependent on men for their money, and there were few ways in which they could earn an independent living.

At 19 and 17 respectively, Dorothy and Cicely now had to find a way to support the family. Luckily, both girls were industrious and resourceful. Dorothy established a kindergarten in the back room of the home, contributing a teaching salary that was small, but very welcome. Meanwhile, Sisley committed fully to art. She'd sell her creations, like her father before her. Initially, she sold paintings to children's magazine publishers, like Child's Own and My Magazine. These contained stories, adverts and photographs, and an array of illustrations well suited to her style. She sold more illustrations to Raphael Tuck-Annuels, the printer who'd bought her images when she

was just 15. And she continued to sell prints for use in postcards and greeting cards. The income was fairly poor, but every penny counted. More money came later with a teaching position at the Croydon Art Society, where she'd taken those first classes. first classes, and most profitable of all were payments from book deals once she began selling collections of her poetry and artwork. Barker had submitted work to a number of different publishers before one was accepted in 1923. The Flower Fairies of the Spring was published by Blackie and Sons, with whom she would go on to sell many more books. For this, she received an initial payment of 25 English pounds. That's the equivalent today to nearly 2 which gave her a percentage of total book sales. Thanks to the popularity of the flower fairies in particular,

she was able to bring in a fairly steady income. The fairies reflect Barker's early inspiration, the styles of those artists on her nursery bookshelf. They blend Greenaway's idealized version of childhood with Caldecott's playfulness and characters caught in motion. They're also unique to the style of the artist, combining Barker's boundless imagination and playful spirit with the fondness she maintained for the natural world. Take the Larch Fairy, for example, on the book's cover. The tiny creature looks down from the Larch tree, where she's sitting very comfortably

on thin, twiggy branches. With a cherub-like face and golden-blonde hair, the fairy resembles a happy young girl. But of course, she's a great deal smaller than a human child. Flower fairies at their tallest are 20 centimeters, or around seven inches, and most are shorter. and most are shorter. She also has pointed ears, reminiscent of an elf's, and near-transparent pink wings, like a butterfly's in shape. The fairy has been painted, as if captured in movement. She's swinging her legs from the high up tree branch, dressed in an outfit of dusky pink blossoms.

One can almost imagine Barker wandering through the garden, stumbling across the fairy, and sitting down to paint. Like all of the flower fairies that Barker would go on to create, the Larch Fairy is based on an actual child. The artist insisted on using real-life models in order to make her work as lifelike as possible. Many a youngster sat patiently for hours while she observed them carefully, sketching and painting. One was Gladys Tidy, who came to do housework every Saturday. Many others were the children of Barker's relatives. The majority of young models who were immortalized as fairies came from her sister Dorothy's kindergarten.

They were always given props relating to the fairy being painted, including handmade costumes, real plants, and flowers. Accuracy to Barker was of the utmost importance, especially when it came to the nature she depicted. Her approach was like that of a botanical artist documenting in the interest of science. When she couldn't find specimens in her own back garden, she went into the city to visit Kew Gardens. Also known as the Royal Botanic Gardens, it was just a train ride away in southwest London. The gardens had been established in 1840,

and by the early 20th century, when Barker would visit, it had some of the largest and most diverse collections of plant life in the world. She was on good terms with the staff there, who helped her to find what she needed. From the shapes and patterns to the shades of the blossoms, she took a great deal of care to recreate each flower precisely. That's part of what made the illustrations so appealing. The accuracy of the nature made the fairies seem more real themselves. The only real change that she made to the flowers was that she enlarged them to the point where they were as big as the young model. This emphasized the beauty and the details of the flora, and made the child seem even smaller and more fairy-like beside it.

The Flower Fairies of the Spring showcases the best of the season, the trees and flowers that thrive in the springtime. It was based on what Barker knew of the English countryside, what she'd seen around Croydon and at Kew Gardens. The Speedwell, the Bluebell, and the Primrose Fairy all feature under the banner of springtime, as do the Daisy, Dandelion, and Daffodil, alongside a number of other seasonal fairies. Barker designed the layout to have an image on one page and a poem about that fairy on the page opposite. Verses were all written by Barker herself and were every bit as charming as the illustrations they accompanied.

The bluebell is described as the splendor of spring, and the peerless woodland king to the primrose queen. rose queen. My Hundred Thousand Bells of Blue is the opening line to the Bluebell Fairies poem. They carpet all the woods anew with royalty of sapphire hue. fire you. Such verses reveal the author's creativity and imagination, and highlight her love of nature even further. She took inspiration from a group of 19th century painters, from a group of 19th century painters known collectively as the Pre-Raphaelites, in contrast, didn't believe in changing nature. They sought to showcase the landscape

exactly as it was. Artists would visit the places that they were painting in order to bring truth to nature. They sought to recreate settings to be as realistic as possible in tone, shape, and texture, down to the very last detail. It's somewhat remarkable that Barker was able to take this idea and apply it to a picture book aimed at children. She brought pre-Raphaelite realism to a book about fairies,

staying true to nature, but adding a good dose of magic. Fairies are depicted in the most charming little costumes, expertly coordinated to match the associated flower. Dresses and tunics display the colours of petals. Fairy wings, in places, repeat the patterns of nearby blossoms. The dog violet fairy, for instance, wears a purple tunic and leggings, the exact same shade as the giant flowers he carries. Pretty outstretched wings are also violet in color, but a softer, lighter shade, with lines across their surface.

The attention to detail that Barker brought to the plant life allowed her to paint costumes that seemed equally realistic. Fabric appears velvety and petal-like in places. Folds and creases mimic the movement of real clothes. Sometimes, the fairies' costumes are so similar to their flowers that it's hard to know where one ends and the other begins. One certainly has the impression that should a fairy want to hide, it could easily disappear into the camouflage of its flower. into the camouflage of its flower. All things considered, it's not hard to see why such creatures would capture the public's imagination. Of the many books that Barker would go on to publish, the Flower Fairies were most popular,

and remain so to this day. The success of the books was a matter of good timing alongside the talent of its artist and publisher. Post-Victorian Britain had developed a fascination with fairies. They were a common theme in both artwork and literature. Interest had been sparked by J.M. Barrie's hit play, Peter Pan or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up. Theatergoers had been dazzled by The Boy Who Could Fly and the mischievous fairy Tinkerbell. The play was first performed in 1904 and was such a success that it was extended into a novel. Peter and Wendy was published in 1911, bringing fairies and magic into homes across the country.

And it wasn't only the children who were enchanted by the fantasy. Fairy-themed artwork proved popular amongst adults. Queen Mary herself, wife of King George V, was a fan of the Australian artist Ida Rental Uthwaite. She sent fairy-themed postcards displaying Uthwaite's prints on the front, helping popularize the trend across Britain and beyond. There'd been a boom in sales of postcards from the late 19th century, in part thanks to competitions run by the printers who sold them. Prizes were given to those who'd sent the most postcards,

with one competition winner in 1900 having sent more than 20,000 postcards over an 18-month period. month period. Businesses like Raphael Tuck, who started out selling pictures and greeting cards, soon found that postcards. She was in her early twenties in 1918 when her Elves and Fairies series was sold and published. Her colorful illustrations graced the front of countless postcards that were sent around the country with good tidings for their recipients. 1918 was also noteworthy for a very important reason. in that the First World War finally came to an end. It had lasted for more than four years, and had been one of the deadliest conflicts of all history.

The people of Europe and places beyond were tired and careworn after the events of the war. Some were grieving for their lost loved ones, others for the worlds that they'd known before the war. For many, Bacchus flower fairies provided a means of escape, like the fairy tales and folk stories that were popular at the time. A plotline of good overcoming evil offered comfort and reassurance amidst difficult times. times. The world of Bacchus fairies offered a stark contrast to the fast-paced industrial reality of post-war Britain. They spoke to another time that was magical and innocent, a world far removed from the harshness of modern life. Perhaps that's why some were so keen to believe in fairies.

One of the most notable fairy believers was the novelist, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle of Sherlock Holmes fame. He departed from crime to release a book on fairies in 1923, the year before Barker's Flower Fairies of the Spring. The coming of the fairies was Conan Doyle's most famous piece of non-fiction. In it, he shared his spiritual beliefs, including the existence of spirits and fairies. He included five photographs as a way of proving the theory. These were the so-called Cottingly Fairies.

The pictures were taken by two young girls from Cottingly, West Yorkshire, named Elsie Wright and Francis Griffiths. They appeared to show the cousins out in nature, having stumbled across a realm of ethereal little fairies. In some photographs, the creatures fly inches from the cousins' faces, looking as if they're speaking to the humans in the woodland. In one picture, Frances sits by a babbling brook, surrounded by fairies who dance happily around her. Decades later, after much speculation, Francis and Elsie, now adults, admitted to having faked the photographs. They'd used cardboard cutouts taken from a popular children's book

and posted them in the area around the Cottingley Brook. However, Frances always maintained that the fifth photograph was genuine, right up until her passing in 1986. And both women claimed to have seen real fairies, even if they hadn't managed to capture them on camera. It's likely no surprise to a modern audience that the pictures were eventually proven to be fake. that the pictures were eventually proven to be fake. What is surprising though, is that amongst the contemporary doubters, there were many people like Conan Doyle, who truly about the fairies that included two high-resolution prints of the original photographs.

The December 1920 edition of The Strand magazine sold out within days of being published. The writer ended with a message to readers that the recognition of the fairy's existence will jolt the 20th century mind out of its heavy ruts in the mud, and will make it admit that there is a glamour and a mystery to life. that there is a glamour and a mystery to life. It's an appealing message, even to the skeptics, and likely one that resonated with the more spiritually open-minded. No doubt, after the photographs and the support of Conan Doyle, the pool of believers was bigger than before. This goes some way to explaining a disclaimer that Barker includes in a later publication. It's in Flower Fairies of the Wayside,

published in 1948, when she was in her early 50s. Here she writes, I have drawn all the plants and flowers very carefully, from real ones, and everything said about them is as true as I could make it. But I have never seen a fairy. The fairies and all about them are just pretend." This was the climate in 20th century Britain, the world in which Barker's Flower Fairies had so quickly found a home.

The Flower Fairies of Summer was published in 1923, not long after the release of the Spring Collection. Then, a few years later, in 1926, the Flower Fairies of Autumn was also published. There was more still in the Flower Fairies series amongst the myriad books that Barker would publish, as well as a number of publications relating to religion in which she sought to express her Christian values. Like the majority of British people in the early 20th century. Barker had grown up in a religious family. She was a devout Christian, attending church services with her family at her local church,

St Edmunds in Croydon. The vicar gave sermons from a hand-carved pulpit that her father had made and donated to the church, and it seems his daughter would follow in his footsteps. She was as kind and charitable as she was artistic, and she was keen to use her talents for the benefit of the church. Two years before her Elves and Fairies postcards were published, she designed a series of eight mission postcards.

These promoted the work of a Christian missionary agency, the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. One postcard was entitled Prayer. It shows a woman kneeling before an open window, eyes closed in silent contemplation. It's thought that Barker's sister might have modeled for the artwork, as the young woman bears a resemblance to Dorothy Barker. Years later, in 1923, she sold a collection of five birthday cards to the same agency. Illustrations featured a guardian angel dressed in long flowing gowns with a halo around their head.

Gorgeous feathered wings stretched out from their shoulders, similar to the flower fairies, published that same year. A small child or baby sits on the angel's lap, representing the child whose birthday is being celebrated. These scenes were often set against a backdrop of nature with grass, flowers, and trees in blossom. Quotes were printed on the inside of the card, including meaningful passages from the Bible, of the card, including meaningful passages from the Bible, hymns, and prayers. There were also inspiring verses written by Barker herself, reminders to the children that they were blessed and loved. She also designed Christmas cards for the Girls' Friendly Society, a charitable institution led by Christian values.

The charity supported girls between the ages of 5 and 25 in getting the education and training needed to make a better life. Barker's cards proved very popular. The first three sold out in 1923, after a combined sale of nearly 50,000 copies. copies. Also popular were her religious volumes like the Children's Book of Hymns, released in 1929. The lyrics and harmonies of contemporary hymns were printed across pages in black and white. These were interspersed with Barker's illustrations, depicting scenes from the Bible in glorious color.

Six years later, she published He Leadeth Me, a book of Bible stories, in collaboration with her sister. Dorothy proved herself a skilled author, rewriting Bible stories into child-friendly versions. Colorful pictures courtesy of her sister moved the narrative along and kept the stories engaging. In addition to the books, postcards, and birthday cards, Barker had designed a number of large pieces and either sold or donated them to religious buildings. or donated them to religious buildings. One such building was the church in Croydon, where her father had carved and donated the pulpit. Amongst her contributions were panels around the font,

where children were baptized with water from the basin. Oil paintings depict the seven sacraments of the church. Baptism is included amongst several others, as well as marriage, confession, and anointing a sick person with oil. and anointing a sick person with oil. Barker herself was once described as one of the pillars of St. Andrews, so great was the impact she'd had on the building. The paintings are still visible in the church today,

in the triangular archways around the font's sides. More of Barker's pieces are at the Chapel of St. George, located in Wadden, at the west end of Croydon. of Croydon. One depicts the Bible story, the feeding of the five thousand, in which Jesus fed the masses with five loaves of bread and two fishes. Another of Barker's pieces is the parable of the Great Supper. It's painted on the panels of what's known as a triptych. There are three paintings set within a wooden frame, the largest at the center, displaying a dinner party.

displaying a dinner party. It relates to a story told by Jesus in the Bible about a man who hosts a banquet only for his guests not to attend. Instead, he fills his home with the poor and disabled. There's always another seat for the disadvantaged and the needy. Barker painted Jesus at the head of the table, and there are winged angels beckoning people to sit and eat. angels beckoning people to sit and eat.

The most noteworthy recipient of one of Barker's religious paintings was none other than Queen Mary in 1926. The monarch bought a piece which depicted Jesus, the Christ child. It was entitled, The Darling of the World Has Come. Barker's Christian values were at the core of all she did, including the flower fairies for which she's most remembered. They symbolized a return to traditional values and emphasized the hopefulness, virtue, and

innocence of children. Interestingly, the Pre-Raphaelite movement from which Barker took inspiration was also heavily influenced by religious beliefs. Painters often depicted Bible scenes that might were common throughout their artwork. Barker worked in much the same way. Creativity was a means of expressing her faith. In her illustrations of flower fairies, she echoed the pre-Raphaelite motto of bringing truth to nature wherever she could. Tabaka and those whose work inspired her. The natural world was a gift from God.

a gift from God. It required no alteration because it was already perfect. So it was her duty as an artist and Christian to portray nature exactly as it was. That's part of the reason why she took so much care, to get the nature right in her Flower Fairies series. It's why she had the model's pose with real flowers. Why she went to Kew Gardens to find samples of plant life. The fairies, of course, were imaginary, but in a way, they represented the spirits of the flowers. They were a means of drawing out the plants' aliveness and beauty in a way that children would be able to access. Barker continued working into her early 60s, publishing more books, including additional Flower Fairies titles. By then, she'd moved south to Storington in Sussex and found a haven of tranquility

not far from the coastline. Her ashes were scattered in Storington Churchyard her backyard when she passed away at age 77. It's an apt resting place for this unassuming artist, a woman with so much faith in both God and nature. Barker's legacy lives on in the artwork she left behind, some even published posthumously, like The Flower Fairies of Winter. Originals were then relaunched in the early 2000s with the same classic artwork and updated dust jackets. Today, the world of the Flower Fairies has expanded even further. There's a TV show, merchandise, and countless storybooks for young readers.

More than seven million copies of the Flower Fairies books have been sold in the last decade alone, and they've been translated into more than 20 languages. translated into more than 20 languages. It's testament to the talent of Cicely Mary Barker, who makes many of us still want to believe in fairies. What is it? You You You You You You I'm going to go ahead and close the video. You You You You You. you