The Cottingley Fairy Photographs
Ranked #3,906 in Arts & Design, #55,838 overall
The Innocent Fairy Photo Hoax That Made Two Young Girls Famous
The story of two young girls and the photographs that created controversy, hope and curiosity for over 63 years.
Elsie Wright was 16 and her cousin, Frances Griffiths, was 10 in 1917 when the first two photographs of the famous Cottingley Fairies were taken with a borrowed camera in Yorkshire. The girls truly believed in the existence of fairies and decided to show their skeptics photographic evidence as proof that they indeed spent time in the company of their tiny winged friends.
There were a total of five photographs in the series. When the first two photographs were developed by Elsie's father he assumed the photos were fake. Elsie's mother believed the photos were genuine.
Elsie Wright was 16 and her cousin, Frances Griffiths, was 10 in 1917 when the first two photographs of the famous Cottingley Fairies were taken with a borrowed camera in Yorkshire. The girls truly believed in the existence of fairies and decided to show their skeptics photographic evidence as proof that they indeed spent time in the company of their tiny winged friends.
There were a total of five photographs in the series. When the first two photographs were developed by Elsie's father he assumed the photos were fake. Elsie's mother believed the photos were genuine.
How the Fairy Photographs Gained Public Interest
The photos did not become of interest until 1919 when Elsie's mother, Polly Wright, went to a Theosophical Society meeting in Bradford. During the lecture, which happened to be titled, "fairy life", Polly shared the details of the photographs that her daughter and niece had taken with the fairies.
In 1920 the photos then became of interest to Theosophist, Edward Gardner who believed the fairy pictures were authentic.
In 1922 a letter that Frances wrote to her friend Johanna Parvin, dated November 9, 1918, was discovered and published in an article called "Cape Town Link In World Controversy".
"Dear Joe [Johanna], I hope you are quite well. I wrote a letter before, only I lost it or it got mislaid. Do you play with Elsie and Nora Biddles? I am learning French, Geometry, Cookery and Algebra at school now. Dad came home from France the other week after being there ten months, and we all think the war will be over in a few days. We are going to get our flags to hang upstairs in our bedroom. I am sending two photos, both of me, one of me in a bathing costume in our back yard, Uncle Arthur took that, while the other is me with some fairies up the beck, Elsie took that one. Rosebud is as fat as ever and I have made her some new clothes. How are Teddy and dolly? Elsie and I are very friendly with the beck Fairies." On the back of the photograph Frances wrote "It is funny I never used to see them in Africa. It must be too hot for them there."
The letter was considered evidence because Frances wrote about the fairies in her letter as if they were real and just a part of her everyday life.
In 1920 the photos then became of interest to Theosophist, Edward Gardner who believed the fairy pictures were authentic.
In 1922 a letter that Frances wrote to her friend Johanna Parvin, dated November 9, 1918, was discovered and published in an article called "Cape Town Link In World Controversy".
"Dear Joe [Johanna], I hope you are quite well. I wrote a letter before, only I lost it or it got mislaid. Do you play with Elsie and Nora Biddles? I am learning French, Geometry, Cookery and Algebra at school now. Dad came home from France the other week after being there ten months, and we all think the war will be over in a few days. We are going to get our flags to hang upstairs in our bedroom. I am sending two photos, both of me, one of me in a bathing costume in our back yard, Uncle Arthur took that, while the other is me with some fairies up the beck, Elsie took that one. Rosebud is as fat as ever and I have made her some new clothes. How are Teddy and dolly? Elsie and I are very friendly with the beck Fairies." On the back of the photograph Frances wrote "It is funny I never used to see them in Africa. It must be too hot for them there."
The letter was considered evidence because Frances wrote about the fairies in her letter as if they were real and just a part of her everyday life.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Believed the Photographs to Be Genuine
While working on an article about fairies for the Strand Magazine in 1920, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle heard about the photographs taken by the young girls. He borrowed copies of the photos from Gardner. He investigated the Wright family with the help of Gardner and decided that if they could produce more photographs it would prove their authenticity. They provided Elsie and Frances with cameras and photographic plates in hopes that they summon the fairies out for another portrait sitting.
The first two photographs were printed in the Strand magazine and Conan Doyle scheduled a tour about Spiritualism in Australia.
The photographs were causing a lot of controversy and the girls had their critics, but there were also those who wanted to believe the photos were real. Conan Doyle was among those who believed the photographs were genuine. He published a second article when the girls took 3 new photographs of the fairies and made the girls famous. He published The Coming of the Fairies in 1922 which told the story of the Cottingley Fairy photographs and the existence of the spirit world.
The first two photographs were printed in the Strand magazine and Conan Doyle scheduled a tour about Spiritualism in Australia.
The photographs were causing a lot of controversy and the girls had their critics, but there were also those who wanted to believe the photos were real. Conan Doyle was among those who believed the photographs were genuine. He published a second article when the girls took 3 new photographs of the fairies and made the girls famous. He published The Coming of the Fairies in 1922 which told the story of the Cottingley Fairy photographs and the existence of the spirit world.
On the last expedition to Cottingley in 1921 a clairvoyant named Geoffrey Hodson was asked to verify the genuineness of the girls' story.
In his book 'Fairies at Work and Play' Hodson stated that he was convinced that Elsie and Frances were bona fide and that he had seen the fairies with his own eyes.
#3 Frances Griffiths and the Leaping Fairy
The photograph was taken by Elsie Wright in 1920.
#4 Fairy Offers Tiny Harebells to Elsie
The photograph was taken by Frances Griffiths in 1920.
#5 The Fairies Enjoying Their Sun-Bath
The photograph was taken in 1920 and is the fifth photograph, of the fairies alone in the sunbath. Until her death, Frances Griffith swore that this photograph was the only genuine photograph of the Cottingly Fairies.
The Confession
In 1981, Elsie and Frances admitted in an interview that the photographs were taken with cut-out pictures of fairies that were held in place with hatpins.
In a 1982 TV interview on Arthur C. Clarke's "World of Strange Powers", Elsie Wright stated that they were too embarrassed to admit the truth after fooling the author of Sherlock Holmes.
"Two village kids and a brilliant man like Conan Doyle, well, we could only keep quiet".
In the same interview they also stated:
"I never even thought of it as being a fraud - it was just Elsie and I having a bit of fun and I can't understand to this day why they were taken in - they wanted to be taken in."
The cousins stated that the last, fifth photograph, of the fairies alone in the sunbath, was genuine and there really were fairies at Cottingley.
In a 1982 TV interview on Arthur C. Clarke's "World of Strange Powers", Elsie Wright stated that they were too embarrassed to admit the truth after fooling the author of Sherlock Holmes.
"Two village kids and a brilliant man like Conan Doyle, well, we could only keep quiet".
In the same interview they also stated:
"I never even thought of it as being a fraud - it was just Elsie and I having a bit of fun and I can't understand to this day why they were taken in - they wanted to be taken in."
The cousins stated that the last, fifth photograph, of the fairies alone in the sunbath, was genuine and there really were fairies at Cottingley.
Interview With Elsie And Frances
Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths talk about taking the Cottingley Fairy Photographs.
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Elsie Wright
- Born in 1901 to Arthur Wright and Polly Wright
- She was a very talented artist who used watercolors to paint landscapes and portraits.
- She had attended Bradford Art College at the age of 13.
- She worked in a photographic lab during WW1 where she worked in a darkroom with plate cameras.
- She later married Frank Hill who she met in the US.
- She was a captain in the WRVS working in military hospitals in Calcutta during World War 2.
- She lived in India with her husband until 1949 and later moved back to England after the declaration of independence.
- She had a son and daughter.
- Elsie died in 1988 at the age of 87.
Frances Griffith
- Born in 1907 to Sergeant Major Arthur Griffith and Annie Griffith.
- She moved from South Africa to live with her cousin in Cottingley.
- Frances married a soldier, Sydney Way in 1928.
- She settled in Ramsgate.
- She had at least two children, a son and a daughter.
- Frances died in 1986 at the age of 78.
An Interview With Frances Griffith's Daughter
The interview came about on the BBC Antiques Road show in the UK where Frances Griffith's daughter brought her mother's camera.
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Cottingley Fairies Art Styles Framed Photographic Poster Print by Elsie Wright, 30x24
Amazon Price: (as of 02/15/2012)
Book by Arthur Conan Doyle Sir
The Coming of the Fairies (Extraordinary World)
Amazon Price: $7.51 (as of 02/15/2012)
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), best known as the author of Sherlock Holmes stories but also a devout spiritualist, was entirely convinced by a set of photographs apparently showing two young girls from Cottingley in Yorkshire playing with a group of tiny, translucent fairies. To demonstrate his unshakeable belief in the spirit world, he published The Coming of the Fairies in 1922. Doyle's book lays out the story of the photographs, their supposed provenance, and the implications of their existence. This quirky and fascinating book allows us to get inside the mind of an intelligent, highly respected man who happened to believe in fairies.
John M. Lynch's introduction to this Bison Books edition provides the background to appreciate Doyle's claims and, without supporting the existence of fairies, to understand why Doyle wanted them to exist. The photographs of the fairies are reproduced in their entirety, with the original captions, offering readers an opportunity to examine Doyle's and his supporters' claims to their authenticity.
Fairy Tale - A True Story
Amazon Price: $28.79 (as of 02/15/2012)
This movie is beautifully made and absolutely charming! The young girls who portray Elsie and Frances are so charming and innocent as they play in Cottingley Glen with the fairies.
Click Here to Watch a Video of Fairy Tale - A True Story.
Fairy Tale: A True Story Movie Storybook (Cottingley Glen)
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 02/15/2012)
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Photographing Fairies
Photographing Fairies is an adult movie and a much darker version of the Cottingley Fairy Photographs.
Click Here to Watch a Video of Photographing Fairies.
![Photographing Fairies [VHS]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41YR7T1JXPL._SL160_.jpg)
Photographing Fairies [VHS]
Amazon Price: $18.94 (as of 02/15/2012)
More Faeries
Lady Cottington was much like Elsie & Frances except she squashed fairies in her journal instead of photographing them.
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lizziebeth
Oct 23, 2010 @ 5:45 am | delete
- This was a fascinating story. Thanks for sharing it!
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switcher
Apr 14, 2010 @ 4:54 pm | delete
- They must be real! People are always telling me I'm away with the fairies...
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Emma Rose
Mar 21, 2010 @ 11:50 pm | delete
- I really admire the 2 girls for having a bright imagination!!!
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jptanabe
Aug 16, 2009 @ 7:27 pm | delete
- This is great! I've linked it in to my lens on Legendary creatures and will do on my lens on Fairies (when I get it written!)
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spirituality
Jul 30, 2009 @ 3:42 am | delete
- You know I think this is a great lens. I've featured it on another lens of mine: http://www.squidoo.com/geoffrey-hodson about Geoffrey Hodson. Blessed by a squidangel too today :)
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24websurf
Jun 17, 2009 @ 3:38 pm | delete
- I was completely enchanted with this lens. It's so beautifully done and so complete. Thank you!
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Believe-In-Eden
Jun 17, 2009 @ 7:19 am | delete
- Yeah I think they might be real...at least I hope...
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MeltedRachel
Jun 14, 2009 @ 12:55 pm | delete
- Beautiful lens! I'd only seen one of those photos before so it was great to see some more. 5*
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financialadvisers4U
Apr 10, 2009 @ 10:05 pm | delete
- YES! I believe in Fairies! I enjoyed looking at this photos, once again...
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ideadesigns
Jan 30, 2009 @ 9:48 am | delete
- You've built a very nice lens. They looked like cut outs when I first saw it. There's lots of fake things like this in the world. Although the spirit world is real... just be on the right side!
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K_Linda
Dec 23, 2008 @ 2:37 pm | delete
- As a young child, my world included little people...soooo, fairies? Why not? Very interesting lens. 5*'s.
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jess
Nov 9, 2008 @ 1:30 am | delete
- you deserve a sincere "bravo."
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WhitePineLane
Oct 18, 2008 @ 9:13 pm | delete
- Wonderful fairy lens! Lensrolling to my Corgi Legend: The Faerie Steed lens!
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0ctavias0fferings
Sep 30, 2008 @ 9:44 am | delete
- Excellent lens, lensrolling with my fairy miniatures lens.
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gmarlett
Sep 19, 2008 @ 4:58 pm | delete
- Fascinating lens, amazing and very entertaining - thanks! It's interesting that Conan Doyle was fooled, but he had a lot invested in the Spiritualist movement.
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ChristiannaGarrett-Martin
Sep 16, 2008 @ 5:00 pm | delete
- A delightful tale and beautifully presented. Though I do actually believe in the existence of fairies. Clever hoax though. :)
Christianna.
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rms
Aug 31, 2008 @ 3:04 pm | delete
- Thanks for adding this great lens to the Gothic Tempations group!
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Snowfarie
Aug 25, 2008 @ 4:49 pm | delete
- Interesting Read :)
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Aug 9, 2008 @ 2:26 am | delete
- Excellent Lens. 5 stars and favourited!
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Janet21
Aug 5, 2008 @ 1:24 am | delete
- Welcome to the Everything Photography group. :)
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Graceonline
Aug 3, 2008 @ 11:15 pm | delete
- Enchanting! Excellent lens. Good writing. Fun tale. All the better because two smart little girls fooled half the world. Thank you for a lovely bedtime story before I sleep tonight.
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flighty02
Jul 28, 2008 @ 2:09 am | delete
- Nice job :) I actually thought about doing this lens as I live about a mile away from Cottingley but I like the way you have presented it.
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fefe
Jul 19, 2008 @ 7:58 pm | delete
- They did a pretty good job on the pictures for Photoshop not having been invented yet. :)
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Timewarp
Jul 16, 2008 @ 11:18 pm | delete
- Great lens, faires are real even if these photos aren't!
For spooky videos visit Hollow Vision Paranormal!
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Winter52
Jul 16, 2008 @ 4:27 pm | delete
- It's a very cool topic and I'm in the mood to believe so I'm going to. lol... 5* because I want to. ;)
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chefkeem
Jul 13, 2008 @ 1:04 pm | delete
- Of course, I believe in fairies! I am one. Here's some of my "dust" to prove it: *****
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amandaquerque
Jul 8, 2008 @ 2:09 am | delete
- What an amazing and interesting topic...I never knew about these and now I am fascinated!
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Hillandglen
Jul 7, 2008 @ 2:51 pm | delete
- If you believe in something strongly enough, then it truely becomes real...
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poddys
Jul 4, 2008 @ 8:50 pm | delete
- Lovely lens and it's a lovely story too. I saw a documentary on them years ago on tv. Very interesting. Maybe it was all a fake, I guess we will never know. Like Nessie, Bigfoot etc...
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Tiddledeewinks
Jun 29, 2008 @ 9:07 pm | delete
- I thought the pictures looked like cut-outs of fairies.How could anyone have been fooled? I have heard there are people who believe in them though.Perhaps they need an imaginary friend.
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chicandsavvy
Jun 28, 2008 @ 11:18 am | delete
- You welcomed me to Squidoo my first week (thanks). I chortled over your "Save the Mosquitos" piece. Started reading your lenses this morning and couldn't stop. This fairy lens is enchanting.
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EverythingMouse
Jun 28, 2008 @ 9:34 am | delete
- I remember learning this story on a children's programm when I was growing up in England. The pictures are beautiful, and I love this story.
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coopd
Jun 26, 2008 @ 1:49 pm | delete
- I remember seeing a couple of these pictures years ago but I never knew the story behind them. Thanks for sharing!
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Barkely
Jun 23, 2008 @ 10:20 am | delete
- This is a very interesting story. I love fairy gardens, and reading any story related to fairies:) I big thumbs up!
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Kanga
Jun 21, 2008 @ 6:04 pm | delete
- What a fantastic story! Those pictures really do fire the imagination.
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