The Curse of the Crying Boy Paintings
What made the crying boy paintings considered haunted?
4.1 (19)
33 mins
Discover the mysterious fires that were linked to Crying Boy paintings across Britain during the 1980s. Explore the story behind the portraits, the curse that made headlines, and the investigation that offered a more ordinary explanation
Ep 1:
The Painting That Wouldn't Burn
A humble chip-pan fire in Rotherham sparks a nationwide tabloid panic, as thousands flood The Sun with cursed paintings, culminating in a bizarre bonfire spectacle on the Thames.
Ep 2:
The Man Behind the Weeping Boy
Behind the weeping boy's name lies a tangle of pseudonyms, a fabricated orphan legend, and fire officers whose real explanation involved hardboard, string, and cool floors—not curses.
Ep 3:
Why We Needed the Curse to Be Real
Beyond the physics lies a deeper story of fear, confirmation bias, and folklore in motion—plus deliciously ironic footnotes that reveal how belief itself became the real curse.
Discussions (5)
Jude
Level 8 · 2 weeks ago50k prints sold across Britain checks out - Woolworths was the main retailer pushing these in the 60s and 70s
Hilda
Level 6 · 2 weeks agothe hardboard explanation was known early on but calling the sun's coverage pure manipulation oversimplifies it. readers weren't duped, they had real fires and real paintings. the media amplified something that genuinely unnerved people who already noticed the pattern themselves.
Travis
Level 8 · 2 weeks ago50k prints sold confirmed
