Melbourn and District u3a

April 2022: Ian Keable is a man of many parts. He graduated in Philosophy, Economics and Politics, is a Chartered Accountant and a magician. His topic is also the title of his book. ‘The Century of Deception: The Birth of the Hoax in the Eighteenth Century’. The 1700s was a period when the people of England seemed to be especially gullible. They believed a woman could give birth to rabbits; a man could climb inside a two pint bottle and sing inside it; and where a blond-haired European could write a book claiming that he was born in Taiwan. These hoaxes weren't just written about extensively in newspapers and journals but also brilliantly and amusingly depicted by satirical artists such as William Hogarth and James Gillray. In this entertaining talk Ian demonstrates how 18th century hoaxes are memorable not only for their imaginative nature but also because of the differing motives of the tricksters.

Ian last spoke to us about unmasking the ‘Cock Lane Ghost’ and previously about the history of cartoons.