Fairy on Her Finger - Fairies Greeting Card

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This peaceful image has a fascinating origin! It was featured alongside the story A Spell for Fairy in the 1914 edition of Princess Mary’s Gift Book. Following a long-held royal tradition, Princess Mary, the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary, contributed her name to this charitable publication. The book was filled with a delightful collection of children's stories and illustrations created by the foremost authors and artists of the time. Its purpose was to raise funds for The Queen’s Work for Women Fund, which supported various military and civilian charities during the war years. Interestingly, this book is also recognized as the source of the illustration that inspired the Cottingley Fairies photograph hoax! See our entire Storybook Collection!

Claude Allin Shepperson (1867-1921) was a British artist, illustrator, and printmaker renowned for his expertise in depicting social scenes and landscapes. Born in Barton-upon-Irwell, Lancashire, Shepperson's early artistic talents prompted him to pursue formal training at the Royal Academy Schools in London. His adept use of line and form made him a highly sought-after illustrator, gaining recognition for his contributions to prominent publications of his era, such as The Strand Magazine and The Illustrated London News. Shepperson's remarkable ability to capture the essence of his subjects, whether in portraits or illustrations, earned him acclaim within the artistic circles of late 19th and early 20th-century Britain. In response to a reader's comment in Punch that Shepperson was a "Sketcher of Aristocrats," a contemporary, Percy Bradshaw, humorously remarked that Shepperson would prefer to be called "an aristocrat who sketches."