About Flower Fairies™: The Magical World of Cicely Mary Barker

22 October 2024 - 27 April 2025

Experience the timeless appeal of Cicely Mary Barker's creation, the Flower Fairies. First published in 1923, these botanically accurate fairies were inspired by real children that Cicely knew. See a selection of the original Flower Fairies alongside her personal sketches and family photographs.

Explore Cicely's journey as an artist. Follow her from the early years as a young girl with a vivid imagination, to commercial success in adulthood. See her childhood sketches, postcard designs and illustrated books she created later in life. This family-friendly exhibition celebrates the life of an extraordinary artist, author and illustrator.

Enjoy playful and creative moments throughout the exhibition. Dress-up as a fairy, design a garden and become a part of the enchanting fairy tales. Unveil the secrets of Cicely's childhood home, draw your own postcard and bring the magic to life!

Exhibition partners

We are delighted to be partnering with Muddy Stilettos for this exhibition.

Exhibition highlights

The Lavender Fairy © The Estate of Cicely Mary Barker, 1944

The Lavender Fairy © The Estate of Cicely Mary Barker, 1944

The Elm Fairy, The Estate of Cicely Mary Barker, 1940

The Elm Fairy, The Estate of Cicely Mary Barker, 1940

Photograph of Cicely Mary Barker © Frederick Warne Co Ltd 2024

Photograph of Cicely Mary Barker © Frederick Warne Co Ltd 2024

Endpaper from The Book of the Flower Fairies © The Estate of Cicely Mary Barker 1927

Endpaper from The Book of the Flower Fairies © The Estate of Cicely Mary Barker 1927