Geoffrey Crawley

Who was Geoffrey Crawley?

Geoffrey Crawley was a photographic expert and journalist, and was the editor in chief of British Journal of Photography for two decades. He was noted for exposing the photographs of the Cottingley Fairies taken in the early 20th century as a hoax.

Crawley was born in 1926 in Bow in London, and moved with his parents to Southend-on-Sea when he was four years old, later moving to Leigh-on-Sea. He was educated at Westcliff High School for Boys, and during World War II he was evacuated to Derbyshire where he was placed with a miner and his family. Already skilled at the piano, Crawley convinced his hosts to purchase a piano to allow him to continue practising. As a child he learned photography from his father. He showed early talent at the piano, and pursued a performance career. He also studied French and German at Selwyn College at the University of Cambridge. Ill health forced him to abandon both his plans to become a professional musician and his studies.

Crawley enjoyed a long career with BJP, joining in the 1960s as a contributor. He became the technical editor, and was promoted to editor in 1967, a position he held for 21 years. Following the sale of the magazine, he reassumed the position of technical editor, continuing until 2000, when he was in his seventies. In 2000 he moved to the Amateur Photographer, where he was a contributor until shortly before his death.