Of Shadows: One Hundred Objects from the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic. By Sara Hannant & Simon Costin. Published by STRANGE ATTRACTOR PRESS Halloween 2016, £25
Shortlisted for the Katharine Briggs Folklore Award 2017
Honorary Winner International Photo Awards: Book of the Year 2017
Honorary Winner Moscow International Foto Awards 2017
"Sara’s pictures are rites of evocation... a radically new and exciting approach to the work of representing the past to the present." Ronald Hutton
"Spellbinding selection" Atlas Obscura
“A feast for the eyes and mind" Arnolfini Bookshop
“Photographer works her own magic at the Museum of Witchcraft” The Wild Hunt
"This is a unique book… each striking image tells its own vivid tale of belief and ceremonial practice" Meyn Mamvro
“Of Shadows is intriguing. The positioning of the subjects doesn’t detract from their mysterious nature and yet conveys a great deal of objective information. The captions are very informative and help to add to the experience of viewing these unique pieces.” Lens Culture
“Very informative – and the photographs are amazing” A Bad Witch’s Blog
“A beautiful new book… satisfyingly square-shaped, full-color, and impeccably designed, making it a rather totemic object unto itself” Phantasmaphile
“Revealing many fascinating aspects of folklore and tradition" The Countryman
“Creepy and brilliant” London Review Bookshop
" A book to explore and savour and from which we can all learn a great deal about magic and its properties from the past and still current in the world today" Meyn Mamvro
One hundred objects, exuding magic and mystery, emerge from the darkness of Cornwall’s much loved Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in this book of haunting photographs. Artist and photographer Sara Hannant has captured the very essence of these carefully selected artifacts, which include wax dolls, wands, statues, daggers, pendants, robes and amulets, all used in the practice of witchcraft and magic. Some have been displayed at the museum for years; others have long been hidden in its archives. Each striking image tells its own vivid tale of belief and ceremonial practice. Accompanying the photographs are informative texts from Sara Hannant and Museum director Simon Costin, as well as an illuminating introduction by the leading historian of British witchcraft and magic, Ronald Hutton.
