'Witches' Wedding: the bride wore nothing', photograph by John Moss, Camera Press, 1971

Press photograph by John Moss for Camera Press, London, reference 17401-14 (17). A night scene by an open fire: a standing figure in an open robe, wearing a metallic mask and a tall feathered headdress, between two kneeling nude figures, one of whom raises a cup. The agency's typed caption on the back reads: 'First Ever Photographs: Witches' Wedding... the bride wore nothing. With the coming of darkness the Wedding Rites continue. Here the bride and groom receive the consecrated wine from the hand of a masked Alex Sanders, the High Priest.' It asks for the credit 'Photograph by John Moss'. An oval stamp records that the picture was used by The People in November 1971; the day reads 7 or 17, and 7 November was a Sunday, the day the paper appeared. Further date stamps of 15 August 1975 and 21 October 1992 and the red filing notes 'Misc-Witches' and 'Witches' show the print stayed in a picture library for two decades. The bride and groom are not named. The archive also holds an eight-page article on a witch wedding titled 'The Bride wore Nothing'. How to cite: John Moss, 'Witches' Wedding: the bride wore nothing', Camera Press, London, 1971. Alexandrian Witchcraft Timeline & Archive.

[Back of the photograph] [Typed caption slip:] First Ever Photographs: WITCHES' WEDDING.......the bride wore nothing With the coming of darkness the Wedding Rites continue. Here the bride and groom receive the consecrated wine from the hand of a masked Alex Sanders, the High Priest. Please acknowledge: Photograph by JOHN MOSS CAMERA PRESS LONDON 17401-14 (17) [Handwritten in blue ink:] By John Moss 17401-14 (17) [Oval rubber stamp:] USED 7 NOV 1971 "PEOPLE" [The day is partly obscured and may read 17.] [Date stamps:] 15 AUG 1975 21 OCT 1992 [Handwritten in red:] Misc-Witches. Witches [Label, top left:] AT 8517 -8518 [Two further rubber stamps are too faint to read; one appears to be a photographic library stamp.]